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Kovač V, Čurin Šerbec V. Prion Protein: The Molecule of Many Forms and Faces. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031232. [PMID: 35163156 PMCID: PMC8835406 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cellular prion protein (PrPC) is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored protein most abundantly found in the outer membrane of neurons. Due to structural characteristics (a flexible tail and structured core), PrPC interacts with a wide range of partners. Although PrPC has been proposed to be involved in many physiological functions, only peripheral nerve myelination homeostasis has been confirmed as a bona fide function thus far. PrPC misfolding causes prion diseases and PrPC has been shown to mediate β-rich oligomer-induced neurotoxicity in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease as well as neuroprotection in ischemia. Upon proteolytic cleavage, PrPC is transformed into released and attached forms of PrP that can, depending on the contained structural characteristics of PrPC, display protective or toxic properties. In this review, we will outline prion protein and prion protein fragment properties as well as overview their involvement with interacting partners and signal pathways in myelination, neuroprotection and neurodegenerative diseases.
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2
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Gielnik M, Taube M, Zhukova L, Zhukov I, Wärmländer SKTS, Svedružić Ž, Kwiatek WM, Gräslund A, Kozak M. Zn(II) binding causes interdomain changes in the structure and flexibility of the human prion protein. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21703. [PMID: 34737343 PMCID: PMC8568922 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00495-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The cellular prion protein (PrPC) is a mainly α-helical 208-residue protein located in the pre- and postsynaptic membranes. For unknown reasons, PrPC can undergo a structural transition into a toxic, β-sheet rich scrapie isoform (PrPSc) that is responsible for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Metal ions seem to play an important role in the structural conversion. PrPC binds Zn(II) ions and may be involved in metal ion transport and zinc homeostasis. Here, we use multiple biophysical techniques including optical and NMR spectroscopy, molecular dynamics simulations, and small angle X-ray scattering to characterize interactions between human PrPC and Zn(II) ions. Binding of a single Zn(II) ion to the PrPC N-terminal domain via four His residues from the octarepeat region induces a structural transition in the C-terminal α-helices 2 and 3, promotes interaction between the N-terminal and C-terminal domains, reduces the folded protein size, and modifies the internal structural dynamics. As our results suggest that PrPC can bind Zn(II) under physiological conditions, these effects could be important for the physiological function of PrPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Gielnik
- Department of Macromolecular Physics, Faculty of Physics, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61-614, Poznań, Poland
| | - Michał Taube
- Department of Macromolecular Physics, Faculty of Physics, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61-614, Poznań, Poland
| | - Lilia Zhukova
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-106, Warszawa, Poland
| | - Igor Zhukov
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-106, Warszawa, Poland
| | | | - Željko Svedružić
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, 51000, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Wojciech M Kwiatek
- Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-342, Kraków, Poland
| | - Astrid Gräslund
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maciej Kozak
- Department of Macromolecular Physics, Faculty of Physics, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61-614, Poznań, Poland.
- National Synchrotron Radiation Centre SOLARIS, Jagiellonian University, 30-392, Kraków, Poland.
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3
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Roseman GP, Wu B, Wadolkowski MA, Harris DA, Millhauser GL. Intrinsic toxicity of the cellular prion protein is regulated by its conserved central region. FASEB J 2020; 34:8734-8748. [PMID: 32385908 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201902749rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The conserved central region (CR) of PrPC has been hypothesized to serve as a passive linker connecting the protein's toxic N-terminal and globular C-terminal domains. Yet, deletion of the CR causes neonatal fatality in mice, implying the CR possesses a protective function. The CR encompasses the regulatory α-cleavage locus, and additionally facilitates a regulatory metal ion-promoted interaction between the PrPC N- and C-terminal domains. To elucidate the role of the CR and determine why CR deletion generates toxicity, we designed PrPC constructs wherein either the cis-interaction or α-cleavage are selectively prevented. These constructs were interrogated using nuclear magnetic resonance, electrophysiology, and cell viability assays. Our results demonstrate the CR is not a passive linker and the native sequence is crucial for its protective role over the toxic N-terminus, irrespective of α-cleavage or the cis-interaction. Additionally, we find that the CR facilitates homodimerization of PrPC , attenuating the toxicity of the N-terminus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graham P Roseman
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Bei Wu
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mark A Wadolkowski
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - David A Harris
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Glenn L Millhauser
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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4
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Kepp KP, Squitti R. Copper imbalance in Alzheimer’s disease: Convergence of the chemistry and the clinic. Coord Chem Rev 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2019.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
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5
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De Mario A, Peggion C, Massimino ML, Norante RP, Zulian A, Bertoli A, Sorgato MC. The Link of the Prion Protein with Ca 2+ Metabolism and ROS Production, and the Possible Implication in Aβ Toxicity. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20184640. [PMID: 31546771 PMCID: PMC6770541 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20184640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The cellular prion protein (PrPC) is an ubiquitous cell surface protein mostly expressed in neurons, where it localizes to both pre- and post-synaptic membranes. PrPC aberrant conformers are the major components of mammalian prions, the infectious agents responsible for incurable neurodegenerative disorders. PrPC was also proposed to bind aggregated misfolded proteins/peptides, and to mediate their neurotoxic signal. In spite of long-lasting research, a general consensus on the precise pathophysiologic mechanisms of PrPC has not yet been reached. Here we review our recent data, obtained by comparing primary neurons from PrP-expressing and PrP-knockout mice, indicating a central role of PrPC in synaptic transmission and Ca2+ homeostasis. Indeed, by controlling gene expression and signaling cascades, PrPC is able to optimize glutamate secretion and regulate Ca2+ entry via store-operated channels and ionotropic glutamate receptors, thereby protecting neurons from threatening Ca2+ overloads and excitotoxicity. We will also illustrate and discuss past and unpublished results demonstrating that Aβ oligomers perturb Ca2+ homeostasis and cause abnormal mitochondrial accumulation of reactive oxygen species by possibly affecting the PrP-dependent downregulation of Fyn kinase activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnese De Mario
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy.
| | - Caterina Peggion
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy.
| | - Maria Lina Massimino
- CNR Neuroscience Institute, Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy.
| | - Rosa Pia Norante
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy.
| | - Alessandra Zulian
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy.
| | - Alessandro Bertoli
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy.
- CNR Neuroscience Institute, Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy.
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy.
| | - Maria Catia Sorgato
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy.
- CNR Neuroscience Institute, Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy.
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6
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Gielnik M, Pietralik Z, Zhukov I, Szymańska A, Kwiatek WM, Kozak M. PrP (58-93) peptide from unstructured N-terminal domain of human prion protein forms amyloid-like fibrillar structures in the presence of Zn 2+ ions. RSC Adv 2019; 9:22211-22219. [PMID: 35519468 PMCID: PMC9066832 DOI: 10.1039/c9ra01510h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 07/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many transition metal ions modulate the aggregation of different amyloid peptides. Substoichiometric zinc concentrations can inhibit aggregation, while an excess of zinc can accelerate the formation of cytotoxic fibrils. In this study, we report the fibrillization of the octarepeat domain to amyloid-like structures. Interestingly, this self-assembling process occurred only in the presence of Zn(ii) ions. The formed peptide aggregates are able to bind amyloid specific dyes thioflavin T and Congo red. Atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy revealed the formation of long, fibrillar structures. X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies of the formed assemblies confirmed the presence of cross-β structure. Two-component analysis of synchrotron radiation SAXS data provided the evidence for a direct decrease in monomeric peptide species content and an increase in the fraction of aggregates as a function of Zn(ii) concentration. These results could shed light on Zn(ii) as a toxic agent and on the metal ion induced protein misfolding in prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Gielnik
- Department of Macromolecular Physics, Faculty of Physics, Adam Mickiewicz University Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 2 PL 61-614 Poznań Poland
| | - Zuzanna Pietralik
- Department of Macromolecular Physics, Faculty of Physics, Adam Mickiewicz University Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 2 PL 61-614 Poznań Poland
| | - Igor Zhukov
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences PL 02-106 Warszawa Poland
- NanoBioMedical Centre, Adam Mickiewicz University PL 61-614 Poznań Poland
| | - Aneta Szymańska
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Gdańsk University PL 80-308 Gdańsk Poland
| | - Wojciech M Kwiatek
- Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences PL 31-342 Krakow Poland
| | - Maciej Kozak
- Department of Macromolecular Physics, Faculty of Physics, Adam Mickiewicz University Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 2 PL 61-614 Poznań Poland
- Joint Laboratory for SAXS Studies, Faculty of Physics, Adam Mickiewicz University PL 61-614 Poznań Poland
- National Synchrotron Radiation Centre SOLARIS, Jagiellonian University PL 30-392 Kraków Poland
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Prediger RD, Schamne MG, Sampaio TB, Moreira ELG, Rial D. Animal models of olfactory dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2019; 164:431-452. [PMID: 31604561 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-63855-7.00024-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Olfactory dysfunction seems to occur earlier than classic motor and cognitive symptoms in many neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Thus, the use of the olfactory system as a clinical marker for neurodegenerative diseases is helpful in the characterization of prodromal stages of these diseases, early diagnostic strategies, differential diagnosis, and, potentially, prediction of treatment success. The use of genetic and neurotoxin animal models has contributed to the understanding of the mechanisms underlying olfactory dysfunction in a number of neurodegenerative diseases. In this chapter, we provide an overview of behavioral and neurochemical alterations observed in animal models of different neurodegenerative diseases (such as genetic and Aβ infusion models for AD and neurotoxins and genetic models of PD), in which olfactory dysfunction has been described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui D Prediger
- Department of Pharmacology, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil.
| | - Marissa G Schamne
- Department of Pharmacology, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Tuane B Sampaio
- Department of Pharmacology, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Eduardo L G Moreira
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Center of Biological Sciences¸ Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Daniel Rial
- Department of Pharmacology, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
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8
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Leighton PLA, Nadolski NJ, Morrill A, Hamilton TJ, Allison WT. An ancient conserved role for prion protein in learning and memory. Biol Open 2018; 7:bio.025734. [PMID: 29358166 PMCID: PMC5829491 DOI: 10.1242/bio.025734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The misfolding of cellular prion protein (PrPC) to form PrP Scrapie (PrPSc) is an exemplar of toxic gain-of-function mechanisms inducing propagated protein misfolding and progressive devastating neurodegeneration. Despite this, PrPC function in the brain is also reduced and subverted during prion disease progression; thus understanding the normal function of PrPC in healthy brains is key. Disrupting PrPC in mice has led to a myriad of controversial functions that sometimes map onto disease symptoms, including a proposed role in memory or learning. Intriguingly, PrPC interaction with amyloid beta (Aβ) oligomers at synapses has also linked its function to Alzheimer's disease and dementia in recent years. We set out to test the involvement of PrPC in memory using a disparate animal model, the zebrafish. Here we document an age-dependent memory decline in prp2−/− zebrafish, pointing to a conserved and ancient role of PrPC in memory. Specifically, we found that aged (3-year-old) prp2−/− fish performed poorly in an object recognition task relative to age-matched prp2+/+ fish or 1-year-old prp2−/− fish. Further, using a novel object approach (NOA) test, we found that aged (3-year-old) prp2−/− fish approached the novel object more than either age-matched prp2+/+ fish or 1-year-old prp2−/− fish, but did not have decreased anxiety when we tested them in a novel tank diving test. Taken together, the results of the NOA and novel tank diving tests suggest an altered cognitive appraisal of the novel object in the 3-year-old prp2−/− fish. The learning paradigm established here enables a path forward to study PrPC interactions of relevance to Alzheimer's disease and prion diseases, and to screen for candidate therapeutics for these diseases. The findings underpin a need to consider the relative contributions of loss- versus gain-of-function of PrPC during Alzheimer's and prion diseases, and have implications upon the prospects of several promising therapeutic strategies. Summary: Prion protein dysfunction at the synapse impacts learning in Alzheimer disease. Here, we demonstrate similar roles for prion protein in zebrafish, revealing ancient constructive roles for this infamously toxic protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia L A Leighton
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Disease, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M8, Canada.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Nathan J Nadolski
- Department of Psychology, MacEwan University, Edmonton, AB T5J 4S2, Canada
| | - Adam Morrill
- Department of Psychology, MacEwan University, Edmonton, AB T5J 4S2, Canada
| | - Trevor J Hamilton
- Department of Psychology, MacEwan University, Edmonton, AB T5J 4S2, Canada .,Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1
| | - W Ted Allison
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Disease, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M8, Canada .,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada.,Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
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9
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Native prion protein homodimers are destabilized by oligomeric amyloid β 1-42 species as shown by single-molecule imaging. Neuroreport 2018; 29:106-111. [PMID: 29120943 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000000916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Prion proteins (PrPc) are receptors for amyloid β 1-42 (Aβ1-42) oligomers, but we do not know the impact of Aβ1-42 binding to PrPc on the interaction of membrane-bound PrPc with molecules that regulate downstream biological pathways. Stability of the PrPc dimeric complex and subsequent intermolecular interactions with membranous or cytoplasmic molecules are important for physiological functions of PrPc including neuroprotection. The principal aim of this study was to determine whether homodimer lifetime of PrPc is affected by the presence of Aβ1-42 oligomers. Single-molecule imaging analysis was carried out by total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy in PrPc-transfected CHO-K1 cells in the absence or presence of characterized Aβ1-42 oligomers. The contribution of different Aβ1-42 oligomer conformations to Alzheimer's disease pathophysiology and to the associated neurotoxicity is unknown. To be precise, with the oligomeric species used in our study, we biochemically analyzed the molecular weight of oligomers formed from Aβ1-42 monomers under our experimental conditions. The lifetime of PrPc homodimers was 210 ms, and in the presence of Aβ1-42 oligomers, the lifetime was significantly reduced (to 92 ms). The reduction of PrPc homodimer lifetime by Aβ1-42 oligomers may impair PrPc-mediated downstream neuroprotective signaling.
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10
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Bistaffa E, Rossi M, De Luca CMG, Moda F. Biosafety of Prions. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2017; 150:455-485. [PMID: 28838674 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2017.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Prions are the infectious agents that cause devastating and untreatable disorders known as Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs). The pathologic events and the infectious nature of these transmissible agents are not completely understood yet. Due to the difficulties in inactivating prions, working with them requires specific recommendations and precautions. Moreover, with the advent of innovative technologies, such as the Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification (PMCA) and the Real Time Quaking-Induced Conversion (RT-QuIC), prions could be amplified in vitro and the infectious features of the amplified products need to be carefully assessed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Bistaffa
- IRCCS Foundation Carlo Besta Neurological Institute, Milan, Italy; Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Martina Rossi
- Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Chiara M G De Luca
- IRCCS Foundation Carlo Besta Neurological Institute, Milan, Italy; Università degli Studi di Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Fabio Moda
- IRCCS Foundation Carlo Besta Neurological Institute, Milan, Italy.
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11
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Abstract
The misfolding of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) causes fatal neurodegenerative diseases. Yet PrPC is highly conserved in mammals, suggesting that it exerts beneficial functions preventing its evolutionary elimination. Ablation of PrPC in mice results in well-defined structural and functional alterations in the peripheral nervous system. Many additional phenotypes were ascribed to the lack of PrPC, but some of these were found to arise from genetic artifacts of the underlying mouse models. Here, we revisit the proposed physiological roles of PrPC in the central and peripheral nervous systems and highlight the need for their critical reassessment using new, rigorously controlled animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Angela Wulf
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Rämistrasse 100, CH-8091, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Assunta Senatore
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Rämistrasse 100, CH-8091, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Rämistrasse 100, CH-8091, Zürich, Switzerland.
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12
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Rubenstein R, Chang B, Grinkina N, Drummond E, Davies P, Ruditzky M, Sharma D, Wang K, Wisniewski T. Tau phosphorylation induced by severe closed head traumatic brain injury is linked to the cellular prion protein. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2017; 5:30. [PMID: 28420443 PMCID: PMC5395835 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-017-0435-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2017] [Accepted: 04/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies in vivo and in vitro have suggested that the mechanism underlying Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathogenesis is initiated by an interaction between the cellular prion protein (PrPC) and amyloid-β oligomers (Aβo). This PrPC-Aβo complex activates Fyn kinase which, in turn, hyperphosphorylates tau (P-Tau) resulting in synaptic dysfunction, neuronal loss and cognitive deficits. AD transgenic mice lacking PrPC accumulate Aβ, but show normal survival and no loss of spatial learning and memory suggesting that PrPC functions downstream of Aβo production but upstream of intracellular toxicity within neurons. Since AD and traumatic brain injury (TBI)-linked chronic traumatic encephalopathy are tauopathies, we examined whether similar mechanistic pathways are responsible for both AD and TBI pathophysiologies. Using transgenic mice expressing different levels of PrPC, our studies investigated the influence and necessity of PrPC on biomarker (total-tau [T-Tau], P-Tau, GFAP) levels in brain and blood as measured biochemically following severe TBI in the form of severe closed head injury (sCHI). We found that following sCHI, increasing levels of T-Tau and P-Tau in the brain were associated with the PrPC expression levels. A similar relationship between PrPC expression and P-Tau levels following sCHI were found in blood in the absence of significant T-Tau changes. This effect was not seen with GFAP which increased within 24 h following sCHI and progressively decreased by the 7 day time point regardless of the PrPC expression levels. Changes in the levels of all biomarkers were independent of gender. We further enhanced and expanded the quantitation of brain biomarkers with correlative studies using immunohisochemistry. We also demonstrate that a TBI-induced calpain hyperactivation is not required for the generation of P-Tau. A relationship was demonstrated between the presence/absence of PrPC, the levels of P-Tau and cognitive dysfunction. Our studies suggest that PrPC is important in mediating TBI related pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Rubenstein
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases and CNS Biomarker Discovery, Departments of Neurology and Physiology/ Pharmacology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Box #1213, Brooklyn, 11203-2098, NY, USA.
| | - Binggong Chang
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases and CNS Biomarker Discovery, Departments of Neurology and Physiology/ Pharmacology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Box #1213, Brooklyn, 11203-2098, NY, USA
| | - Natalia Grinkina
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases and CNS Biomarker Discovery, Departments of Neurology and Physiology/ Pharmacology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Box #1213, Brooklyn, 11203-2098, NY, USA
| | - Eleanor Drummond
- Center for Cognitive Neurology and Department of Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, Alexandria ERSP, 450 East 29th Street, New York, 10016, NY, USA
| | - Peter Davies
- Litwin-Zucker Center for Research in Alzheimer's Disease, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, 11030, NY, USA
| | - Meir Ruditzky
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases and CNS Biomarker Discovery, Departments of Neurology and Physiology/ Pharmacology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Box #1213, Brooklyn, 11203-2098, NY, USA
| | - Deep Sharma
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases and CNS Biomarker Discovery, Departments of Neurology and Physiology/ Pharmacology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Box #1213, Brooklyn, 11203-2098, NY, USA
| | - Kevin Wang
- Program for Neurotrauma, Neuroproteomics and Biomarker Research, Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611, FL, USA
| | - Thomas Wisniewski
- Center for Cognitive Neurology and Departments of Neurology, Pathology and Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, Alexandria ERSP, 450 East 29th Street, New York, 10016, NY, USA
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13
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Divergent prion strain evolution driven by PrP C expression level in transgenic mice. Nat Commun 2017; 8:14170. [PMID: 28112164 PMCID: PMC5264111 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2016] [Accepted: 12/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Prions induce a fatal neurodegenerative disease in infected host brain based on the refolding and aggregation of the host-encoded prion protein PrPC into PrPSc. Structurally distinct PrPSc conformers can give rise to multiple prion strains. Constrained interactions between PrPC and different PrPSc strains can in turn lead to certain PrPSc (sub)populations being selected for cross-species transmission, or even produce mutation-like events. By contrast, prion strains are generally conserved when transmitted within the same species, or to transgenic mice expressing homologous PrPC. Here, we compare the strain properties of a representative sheep scrapie isolate transmitted to a panel of transgenic mouse lines expressing varying levels of homologous PrPC. While breeding true in mice expressing PrPC at near physiological levels, scrapie prions evolve consistently towards different strain components in mice beyond a certain threshold of PrPC overexpression. Our results support the view that PrPC gene dosage can influence prion evolution on homotypic transmission. PrPC protein plays a key role in prion transmission across species. Here, the authors compare transmission of a representative scrapie isolate to transgenic mice expressing variable levels of the same Prnp allele as the donor sheep, and find divergent strain propagation regulated by PrPC gene dosage.
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14
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Abstract
Since the term protein was first coined in 1838 and protein was discovered to be the essential component of fibrin and albumin, all cellular proteins were presumed to play beneficial roles in plants and mammals. However, in 1967, Griffith proposed that proteins could be infectious pathogens and postulated their involvement in scrapie, a universally fatal transmissible spongiform encephalopathy in goats and sheep. Nevertheless, this novel hypothesis had not been evidenced until 1982, when Prusiner and coworkers purified infectious particles from scrapie-infected hamster brains and demonstrated that they consisted of a specific protein that he called a "prion." Unprecedentedly, the infectious prion pathogen is actually derived from its endogenous cellular form in the central nervous system. Unlike other infectious agents, such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi, prions do not contain genetic materials such as DNA or RNA. The unique traits and genetic information of prions are believed to be encoded within the conformational structure and posttranslational modifications of the proteins. Remarkably, prion-like behavior has been recently observed in other cellular proteins-not only in pathogenic roles but also serving physiological functions. The significance of these fascinating developments in prion biology is far beyond the scope of a single cellular protein and its related disease.
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15
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Wang KKW, Yang Z, Chiu A, Lin F, Rubenstein R. Examining the Neural and Astroglial Protective Effects of Cellular Prion Protein Expression and Cell Death Protease Inhibition in Mouse Cerebrocortical Mixed Cultures. Mol Neurobiol 2015; 53:4821-32. [PMID: 26337296 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-015-9407-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2014] [Accepted: 08/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Overexpression of cellular prion protein, PrP(C), has cytoprotective effects against neuronal injuries. Inhibition of cell death-associated proteases such as necrosis-linked calpain and apoptosis-linked caspase are also neuroprotective. Here, we systematically studied how PrP(C) expression levels and cell death protease inhibition affect cytotoxic challenges to both neuronal and glial cells in mouse cerebrocortical mixed cultures (CCM). Primary CCM derived from three mouse lines expressing no (PrP(C) knockout mice (PrPKO)), normal (wild-type (wt)), or high (tga20) levels of PrP(C) were subjected to necrotic challenge (calcium ionophore A23187) and apoptotic challenge (staurosporine (STS)). CCM which originated from tga20 mice provided the most robust neuron-astroglia protective effects against necrotic and early apoptotic cell death (lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release) at 6 h but subsequently lost its cytoprotective effects. In contrast, PrPKO-derived cultures displayed elevated A23187- and STS-induced cell death at 24 h. Calpain inhibitor SNJ-1945 protected against A23187 challenge at 6 h in CCM from all three mouse lines but protected only against A23187 and STS treatments by 24 h in the PrPKO line. In parallel, caspase inhibitor Z-D-DCB protected against pro-apoptotic STS challenge at 6 and 24 h. Furthermore, we also examined αII-spectrin breakdown products (primarily from neurons) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) breakdown products (from astroglia) as cytoskeletal proteolytic biomarkers. Overall, it appeared that both neurons and astroglial cells were less vulnerable to proteolytic attack during A23187 and STS challenges in tga20-derived cultures but more vulnerable in PrPKO-derived cultures. In addition, calpain and caspase inhibitors provide further protection against respective protease attacks on these neuronal and glial cytoskeletal proteins in CCM regardless of mouse-line origin. Lastly, some synergistic cytoprotective effects between PrP(C) expression and addition of cell death-linked protease inhibitors were also observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin K W Wang
- Program for Neurotrauma, Neuroproteomics and Biomarkers Research, Departments of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Physiological Science, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, 1149 South Newell Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
| | - Zhihui Yang
- Program for Neurotrauma, Neuroproteomics and Biomarkers Research, Departments of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Physiological Science, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, 1149 South Newell Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Allen Chiu
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases and CNS Biomarker Discovery, Departments of Neurology and Physiology/Pharmacology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Box #1213, Brooklyn, NY, 11203-2098, USA
| | - Fan Lin
- Program for Neurotrauma, Neuroproteomics and Biomarkers Research, Departments of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Physiological Science, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, 1149 South Newell Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Richard Rubenstein
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases and CNS Biomarker Discovery, Departments of Neurology and Physiology/Pharmacology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Box #1213, Brooklyn, NY, 11203-2098, USA.
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Beckman D, Santos LE, Americo TA, Ledo JH, de Mello FG, Linden R. Prion Protein Modulates Monoaminergic Systems and Depressive-like Behavior in Mice. J Biol Chem 2015; 290:20488-98. [PMID: 26152722 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.666156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We sought to examine interactions of the prion protein (PrP(C)) with monoaminergic systems due to: the role of PrP(C) in both Prion and Alzheimer diseases, which include clinical depression among their symptoms, the implication of monoamines in depression, and the hypothesis that PrP(C) serves as a scaffold for signaling systems. To that effect we compared both behavior and monoaminergic markers in wild type (WT) and PrP(C)-null (PrP(-/-)) mice. PrP(-/-) mice performed poorly when compared with WT in forced swimming, tail suspension, and novelty suppressed feeding tests, typical of depressive-like behavior, but not in the control open field nor rotarod motor tests; cyclic AMP responses to stimulation of D1 receptors by dopamine was selectively impaired in PrP(-/-) mice, and responses to serotonin, but not to norepinephrine, also differed between genotypes. Contents of dopamine, tyrosine hydroxylase, and the 5-HT5A serotonin receptor were increased in the cerebral cortex of PrP(-/-), as compared with WT mice. Microscopic colocalization, as well as binding in overlay assays were found of PrP(C) with both the 5HT5A and D1, but not D4 receptors. The data are consistent with the scaffolding of monoaminergic signaling modules by PrP(C), and may help understand the pathogenesis of clinical depression and neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jose H Ledo
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica da UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brasil
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17
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Gasperini L, Meneghetti E, Pastore B, Benetti F, Legname G. Prion protein and copper cooperatively protect neurons by modulating NMDA receptor through S-nitrosylation. Antioxid Redox Signal 2015; 22:772-84. [PMID: 25490055 PMCID: PMC4361008 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2014.6032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Several neurodegenerative disorders show alterations in glutamatergic synapses and increased susceptibility to excitotoxicity. Mounting evidence suggests a central role for the cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) in neuroprotection. Therefore, the loss of PrP(C) function occurring in prion disorders may contribute to the disease progression and neurodegeneration. Indeed, PrP(C) modulates N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDAR), thus preventing cell death. In this study, we show that PrP(C) and copper cooperatively inhibit NMDAR through S-nitrosylation, a post-translational modification resulting from the chemical reaction of nitric oxide (NO) with cysteines. RESULTS Comparing wild-type Prnp (Prnp(+/+)) and PrP(C) knockout (Prnp(0/0)) mouse hippocampi, we found that GluN1 and GluN2A S-nitrosylation decrease in Prnp(0/0). Using organotypic hippocampal cultures, we found that copper chelation decreases NMDAR S-nitrosylation in Prnp(+/+) but not in Prnp(0/0). This suggests that PrP(C) requires copper to support the chemical reaction between NO and thiols. We explored PrP(C)-Cu neuroprotective role by evaluating neuron susceptibility to excitotoxicity in Prnp(+/+) and Prnp(0/0) cultures. We found that (i) PrP(C)-Cu modulates GluN2A-containing NMDAR, those inhibited by S-nitrosylation; (ii) PrP(C) and copper are interdependent to protect neurons from insults; (iii) neuronal NO synthase inhibition affects susceptibility in wild-type but not in Prnp(0/0), while (iv) the addition of a NO donor enhances Prnp(0/0) neurons survival. INNOVATION AND CONCLUSIONS Our results show that PrP(C) and copper support NMDAR S-nitrosylation and cooperatively exert neuroprotection. In addition to NMDAR, PrP(C) may also favor the S-nitrosylation of other proteins. Therefore, this mechanism may be investigated in the context of the different cellular processes in which PrP(C) is involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Gasperini
- 1 Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA) , Trieste, Italy
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18
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Prakash A, Bharti K, Majeed ABA. Zinc: indications in brain disorders. Fundam Clin Pharmacol 2015; 29:131-49. [PMID: 25659970 DOI: 10.1111/fcp.12110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2014] [Revised: 07/08/2014] [Accepted: 12/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Zinc is the authoritative metal which is present in our body, and reactive zinc metal is crucial for neuronal signaling and is largely distributed within presynaptic vesicles. Zinc also plays an important role in synaptic function. At cellular level, zinc is a modulator of synaptic activity and neuronal plasticity in both development and adulthood. Different importers and transporters are involved in zinc homeostasis. ZnT-3 is a main transporter involved in zinc homeostasis in the brain. It has been found that alterations in brain zinc status have been implicated in a wide range of neurological disorders including impaired brain development and many neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, and mood disorders including depression, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and prion disease. Furthermore, zinc has also been implicated in neuronal damage associated with traumatic brain injury, stroke, and seizure. Understanding the mechanisms that control brain zinc homeostasis is thus critical to the development of preventive and treatment strategies for these and other neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atish Prakash
- Brain Degeneration and Therapeutics Group, Brain and Neuroscience Communities of Research, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Shah Alam, 40450, Malaysia; Department of Pharmacology, ISF college of Pharmacy, Ghal kalan, Moga, 142-001, India; Brain Research Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy, Campus Puncak Alam, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Bandar Puncak Alam, 42300, Malaysia
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Pham N, Sawyer TW, Wang Y, Jazii FR, Vair C, Taghibiglou C. Primary blast-induced traumatic brain injury in rats leads to increased prion protein in plasma: a potential biomarker for blast-induced traumatic brain injury. J Neurotrauma 2015; 32:58-65. [PMID: 25058115 PMCID: PMC4273182 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2014.3471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is deemed the "signature injury" of recent military conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, largely because of increased blast exposure. Injuries to the brain can often be misdiagnosed, leading to further complications in the future. Therefore, the use of protein biomarkers for the screening and diagnosis of TBI is urgently needed. In the present study, we have investigated the plasma levels of soluble cellular prion protein (PrPC) as a novel biomarker for the diagnosis of primary blast-induced TBI (bTBI). We hypothesize that the primary blast wave can disrupt the brain and dislodge extracellular localized PrPC, leading to a rise in concentration within the systemic circulation. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to single pulse shockwave overpressures of varying intensities (15-30 psi or 103.4-206.8 kPa] using an advanced blast simulator. Blood plasma was collected 24 h after insult, and PrPC concentration was determined with a modified commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) specific for PrPC. We provide the first report that mean PrPC concentration in primary blast exposed rats (3.97 ng/mL ± 0.13 SE) is significantly increased compared with controls (2.46 ng/mL ± 0.14 SE; two tailed test p < 0.0001). Furthermore, we report a mild positive rank correlation between PrPC concentration and increasing blast intensity (psi) reflecting a plateaued response at higher pressure magnitudes, which may have implications for all military service members exposed to blast events. In conclusion, it appears that plasma levels of PrPC may be a novel biomarker for the detection of primary bTBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nam Pham
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Thomas W. Sawyer
- Defence Research and Development Canada, Suffield Research Center, Ralston, Alberta, Canada
| | - Yushan Wang
- Defence Research and Development Canada, Suffield Research Center, Ralston, Alberta, Canada
| | - Ferdous Rastgar Jazii
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Cory Vair
- Defence Research and Development Canada, Suffield Research Center, Ralston, Alberta, Canada
| | - Changiz Taghibiglou
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
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Cellular prion protein (PrPC) modulates ethanol-induced behavioral adaptive changes in mice. Behav Brain Res 2014; 271:325-32. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.05.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2014] [Revised: 05/28/2014] [Accepted: 05/31/2014] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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21
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Watt NT, Griffiths HH, Hooper NM. Lipid rafts: linking prion protein to zinc transport and amyloid-β toxicity in Alzheimer's disease. Front Cell Dev Biol 2014; 2:41. [PMID: 25364748 PMCID: PMC4206978 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2014.00041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2014] [Accepted: 08/05/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Dysregulation of neuronal zinc homeostasis plays a major role in many processes related to brain aging and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Yet, despite the critical role of zinc in neuronal function, the cellular mechanisms underpinning its homeostatic control are far from clear. We reported that the cellular prion protein (PrPC) is involved in the uptake of zinc into neurons. This PrPC-mediated zinc influx required the metal-binding octapeptide repeats in PrPC and the presence of the zinc permeable AMPA channel with which PrPC directly interacted. Together with the observation that PrPC is evolutionarily related to the ZIP family of zinc transporters, these studies indicate that PrPC plays a key role in neuronal zinc homeostasis. Therefore, PrPC could contribute to cognitive health and protect against age-related zinc dyshomeostasis but PrPC has also been identified as a receptor for amyloid-β oligomers which accumulate in the brains of those with AD. We propose that the different roles that PrPC has are due to its interaction with different ligands and/or co-receptors in lipid raft-based signaling/transport complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole T Watt
- Division of Cardiovascular and Diabetes Research, Multidisciplinary Cardiovascular Research Centre, University of Leeds Leeds, UK
| | - Heledd H Griffiths
- Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, University of Manchester Manchester, UK
| | - Nigel M Hooper
- Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, University of Manchester Manchester, UK
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22
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Deletion of the prion gene Prnp affects offensive aggression in mice. Behav Brain Res 2014; 266:216-21. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2013] [Revised: 02/27/2014] [Accepted: 03/03/2014] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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Rial D, Pamplona FA, Moreira ELG, Moreira KM, Hipolide D, Rodrigues DI, Dombrowski PA, Da Cunha C, Agostinho P, Takahashi RN, Walz R, Cunha RA, Prediger RD. Cellular prion protein is present in dopaminergic neurons and modulates the dopaminergic system. Eur J Neurosci 2014; 40:2479-86. [PMID: 24766164 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2013] [Revised: 03/12/2014] [Accepted: 03/27/2014] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Cellular prion protein (PrP(C) ) is widely expressed in the brain. Although the precise role of PrP(C) remains uncertain, it has been proposed to be a pivotal modulator of neuroplasticity events by regulating the glutamatergic and serotonergic systems. Here we report the existence of neurochemical and functional interactions between PrP(C) and the dopaminergic system. PrP(C) was found to co-localize with dopaminergic neurons and in dopaminergic synapses in the striatum. Furthermore, the genetic deletion of PrP(C) down-regulated dopamine D1 receptors and DARPP-32 density in the striatum and decreased dopamine levels in the prefrontal cortex of mice. This indicates that PrP(C) affects the homeostasis of the dopaminergic system by interfering differently in different brain areas with dopamine synthesis, content, receptor density and signaling pathways. This interaction between PrP(C) and the dopaminergic system prompts the hypotheses that the dopaminergic system may be implicated in some pathological features of prion-related diseases and, conversely, that PrP(C) may play a role in dopamine-associated brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Rial
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, UFSC, Florianópolis, Brazil; Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Rua Larga University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
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Abstract
Zinc, the most abundant trace metal in the brain, has numerous functions in health and disease. It is released into the synaptic cleft alongside glutamate and this connection between zinc and glutamatergic neurotransmission allows the ion to modulate overall excitability of the brain and influence synaptic plasticity. To maintain healthy synapses, extracellular zinc levels need to be tightly regulated. We recently reported that the cellular prion protein (PrP (C) ) can directly influence neuronal zinc concentrations by promoting zinc uptake via AMPA receptors. The octapeptide repeat region of PrP (C) is involved in zinc sensing or scavenging and the AMPA receptor provides the channel for transport of the metal across the membrane, facilitated by a direct interaction between the N-terminal polybasic region of PrP (C) and AMPA receptors. PrP (C) has been evolutionarily linked to the Zrt/Irt-like protein (ZIP) metal ion transport family with the C-terminus of PrP (C) sharing sequence similarities with the N-terminal extracellular domains of ZIP 5, 6 and 10. By incorporating the properties of ZIP transporters (both zinc sensing and zinc transport) into two existing neuronal proteins, (PrP (C) as zinc sensor, AMPA receptor as zinc transporter), neuronal cells are enhancing their biological efficiency and functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole T Watt
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
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25
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Small-molecule theranostic probes: a promising future in neurodegenerative diseases. Int J Cell Biol 2013; 2013:150952. [PMID: 24324497 PMCID: PMC3845517 DOI: 10.1155/2013/150952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2013] [Accepted: 09/03/2013] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative illnesses, which include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans and scrapie, chronic wasting disease, and bovine spongiform encephalopathy in animals. They are caused by unconventional infectious agents consisting primarily of misfolded, aggregated, β -sheet-rich isoforms, denoted prions, of the physiological cellular prion protein (PrP(C)). Many lines of evidence suggest that prions (PrP(Sc)) act both as a template for this conversion and as a neurotoxic agent causing neuronal dysfunction and cell death. As such, PrP(Sc) may be considered as both a neuropathological hallmark of the disease and a therapeutic target. Several diagnostic imaging probes have been developed to monitor cerebral amyloid lesions in patients with neurodegenerative disorders (such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and prion disease). Examples of these probes are Congo red, thioflavin T, and their derivatives. We synthesized a series of styryl derivatives, denoted theranostics, and studied their therapeutic and/or diagnostic potentials. Here we review the salient traits of these small molecules that are able to detect and modulate aggregated forms of several proteins involved in protein misfolding diseases. We then highlight the importance of further studies for their practical implications in therapy and diagnostics.
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26
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Bobkova NV, Medvinskaya NI, Kamynina AV, Aleksandrova IY, Nesterova IV, Samokhin AN, Koroev DO, Filatova MP, Nekrasov PV, Abramov AY, Leonov SV, Volpina OM. Immunization with either prion protein fragment 95-123 or the fragment-specific antibodies rescue memory loss and neurodegenerative phenotype of neurons in olfactory bulbectomized mice. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2013; 107:50-64. [PMID: 24239620 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2013.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2013] [Revised: 09/17/2013] [Accepted: 10/25/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Epidemiological studies demonstrated association between head injury (HI) and the subsequent development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Certain hallmarks of AD, e.g. amyloid-β (Aβ) containing deposits, may be found in patients following traumatic BI (TBI). Recent studies uncover the cellular prion protein, PrP(C), as a receptor for soluble polymeric forms of Aβ (sAβ) which are an intermediate of such deposits. We aimed to test the hypothesis that targeting of PrP(C) can prevent Aβ related spatial memory deficits in olfactory bulbectomized (OBX) mice utilized here to resemble some clinical features of AD, such as increased level of Aβ, memory loss and deficit of the CNS cholin- and serotonin-ergic systems. We demonstrated that immunization with the a.a. 95-123 fragment of cellular prion (PrP-I) recovered cortical and hippocampus neurons from OBX induced degeneration, rescued spatial memory loss in Morris water maze test and significantly decrease the Aβ level in brain tissue of these animals. Affinity purified anti-PrP-I antibodies rescued pre-synaptic biomarker synaptophysin eliciting similar effect on memory of OBX mice, and protected hippocampal neurones from Aβ25-35-induced toxicity in vitro. Immunization OBX mice with a.a. 200-213 fragment of cellular prion (PrP-II) did not reach a significance in memory protection albeit having similar to PrP-I immunization impact on Aβ level in brain tissue. The observed positive effect of targeting the PrP-I by either active or passive immunization on memory of OBX mice revealed the involvement of the PrP(C) in AD-like pathology induced by olfactory bulbectomy. This OBX model may be a useful tool for mechanistic and preclinical therapeutic investigations into the association between PrP(C) and AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- N V Bobkova
- Institute of Cell Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Institutskaya, 3. Pushchino, Russia.
| | - N I Medvinskaya
- Institute of Cell Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Institutskaya, 3. Pushchino, Russia.
| | - A V Kamynina
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia.
| | - I Y Aleksandrova
- Institute of Cell Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Institutskaya, 3. Pushchino, Russia.
| | - I V Nesterova
- Institute of Cell Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Institutskaya, 3. Pushchino, Russia.
| | - A N Samokhin
- Institute of Cell Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Institutskaya, 3. Pushchino, Russia.
| | - D O Koroev
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia.
| | - M P Filatova
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia.
| | - P V Nekrasov
- Institute of Cell Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Institutskaya, 3. Pushchino, Russia.
| | - A Y Abramov
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, WC1N 3BG London, UK.
| | - S V Leonov
- Institute of Cell Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Institutskaya, 3. Pushchino, Russia; Department of Biology, Chemical Diversity Research Institute (CDRI), Rabochaya St., 2-A, 141400 Khimki, Moscow Region, Russia; BioBusiness Incubator, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Institutsky pereulok, 9, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region 141700, Russia.
| | - O M Volpina
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia.
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Telianidis J, Hung YH, Materia S, Fontaine SL. Role of the P-Type ATPases, ATP7A and ATP7B in brain copper homeostasis. Front Aging Neurosci 2013; 5:44. [PMID: 23986700 PMCID: PMC3750203 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2013.00044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2013] [Accepted: 08/05/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past two decades there have been significant advances in our understanding of copper homeostasis and the pathological consequences of copper dysregulation. Cumulative evidence is revealing a complex regulatory network of proteins and pathways that maintain copper homeostasis. The recognition of copper dysregulation as a key pathological feature in prominent neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and prion diseases has led to increased research focus on the mechanisms controlling copper homeostasis in the brain. The copper-transporting P-type ATPases (copper-ATPases), ATP7A and ATP7B, are critical components of the copper regulatory network. Our understanding of the biochemistry and cell biology of these complex proteins has grown significantly since their discovery in 1993. They are large polytopic transmembrane proteins with six copper-binding motifs within the cytoplasmic N-terminal domain, eight transmembrane domains, and highly conserved catalytic domains. These proteins catalyze ATP-dependent copper transport across cell membranes for the metallation of many essential cuproenzymes, as well as for the removal of excess cellular copper to prevent copper toxicity. A key functional aspect of these copper transporters is their copper-responsive trafficking between the trans-Golgi network and the cell periphery. ATP7A- and ATP7B-deficiency, due to genetic mutation, underlie the inherited copper transport disorders, Menkes and Wilson diseases, respectively. Their importance in maintaining brain copper homeostasis is underscored by the severe neuropathological deficits in these disorders. Herein we will review and update our current knowledge of these copper transporters in the brain and the central nervous system, their distribution and regulation, their role in normal brain copper homeostasis, and how their absence or dysfunction contributes to disturbances in copper homeostasis and neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathon Telianidis
- Strategic Research Centre for Molecular and Medical Research, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin UniversityBurwood, VIC, Australia
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin UniversityBurwood, VIC, Australia
| | - Ya Hui Hung
- Oxidation Biology Unit, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental HealthParkville, VIC, Australia
- Centre for Neuroscience Research, The University of MelbourneParkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Stephanie Materia
- Strategic Research Centre for Molecular and Medical Research, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin UniversityBurwood, VIC, Australia
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin UniversityBurwood, VIC, Australia
| | - Sharon La Fontaine
- Strategic Research Centre for Molecular and Medical Research, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin UniversityBurwood, VIC, Australia
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin UniversityBurwood, VIC, Australia
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28
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The Functional Role of Prion Protein (PrPC) on Autophagy. Pathogens 2013; 2:436-45. [PMID: 25437200 PMCID: PMC4235692 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens2030436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2013] [Revised: 06/11/2013] [Accepted: 06/18/2013] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular prion protein (PrPC) plays an important role in the cellular defense against oxidative stress. However, the exact protective mechanism of PrPC is unclear. Autophagy is essential for survival, differentiation, development, and homeostasis in several organisms. Although the role that autophagy plays in neurodegenerative disease has yet to be established, it is clear that autophagy-induced cell death is observed in neurodegenerative disorders that exhibit protein aggregations. Moreover, autophagy can promote cell survival and cell death under various conditions. In this review, we describe the involvement of autophagy in prion disease and the effects of PrPC.
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Hilton KJ, Cunningham C, Reynolds RA, Perry VH. Early Hippocampal Synaptic Loss Precedes Neuronal Loss and Associates with Early Behavioural Deficits in Three Distinct Strains of Prion Disease. PLoS One 2013; 8:e68062. [PMID: 23840812 PMCID: PMC3694005 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0068062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2013] [Accepted: 05/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative diseases of the CNS that are associated with the accumulation of misfolded cellular prion protein. There are several different strains of prion disease defined by different patterns of tissue vacuolation in the brain and disease time course, but features of neurodegeneration in these strains have not been extensively studied. Our previous studies using the prion strains ME7, 79A and 22L showed that infected mice developed behavioural deficits in the same sequence and temporal pattern despite divergent end-stage neuropathology. Here the objective was to address the hypothesis that synaptic loss would occur early in the disease in all three strains, would precede neuronal death and would be associated with the early behavioural deficits. C57BL/6 mice inoculated with ME7, 79A, or 22L-infected brain homogenates were behaviourally assessed on species typical behaviours previously shown to change during progression and euthanised when all three strains showed statistically significant impairment on these tasks. A decrease in labelling with the presynaptic marker synaptophysin was observed in the stratum radiatum of the hippocampus in all three strains, when compared to control animals. Negligible cell death was seen by TUNEL at this time point. Astrocyte and microglial activation and protease resistant prion protein (PrPSc) deposition were assessed in multiple brain regions and showed some strain specificity but also strongly overlapping patterns. This study shows that despite distinct pathology, multiple strains lead to early synaptic degeneration in the hippocampus, associated with similar behavioural deficits and supports the idea that the initiation of synaptic loss is a primary target of the misfolded prion agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn J. Hilton
- School of Biological Sciences, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Colm Cunningham
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience & School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- * E-mail:
| | - Richard A. Reynolds
- School of Biological Sciences, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - V. Hugh Perry
- School of Biological Sciences, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom
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Kishimoto Y, Hirono M, Atarashi R, Sakaguchi S, Yoshioka T, Katamine S, Kirino Y. Age-dependent impairment of eyeblink conditioning in prion protein-deficient mice. PLoS One 2013; 8:e60627. [PMID: 23593266 PMCID: PMC3622692 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0060627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2013] [Accepted: 02/28/2013] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Mice lacking the prion protein (PrP(C)) gene (Prnp), Ngsk Prnp (0/0) mice, show late-onset cerebellar Purkinje cell (PC) degeneration because of ectopic overexpression of PrP(C)-like protein (PrPLP/Dpl). Because PrP(C) is highly expressed in cerebellar neurons (including PCs and granule cells), it may be involved in cerebellar synaptic function and cerebellar cognitive function. However, no studies have been conducted to investigate the possible involvement of PrP(C) and/or PrPLP/Dpl in cerebellum-dependent discrete motor learning. Therefore, the present cross-sectional study was designed to examine cerebellum-dependent delay eyeblink conditioning in Ngsk Prnp (0/0) mice in adulthood (16, 40, and 60 weeks of age). The aims of the present study were two-fold: (1) to examine the role of PrP(C) and/or PrPLP/Dpl in cerebellum-dependent motor learning and (2) to confirm the age-related deterioration of eyeblink conditioning in Ngsk Prnp (0/0) mice as an animal model of progressive cerebellar degeneration. Ngsk Prnp (0/0) mice aged 16 weeks exhibited intact acquisition of conditioned eyeblink responses (CRs), although the CR timing was altered. The same result was observed in another line of PrP(c)-deficient mice, ZrchI PrnP (0/0) mice. However, at 40 weeks of age, CR incidence impairment was observed in Ngsk Prnp (0/0) mice. Furthermore, Ngsk Prnp (0/0) mice aged 60 weeks showed more significantly impaired CR acquisition than Ngsk Prnp (0/0) mice aged 40 weeks, indicating the temporal correlation between cerebellar PC degeneration and motor learning deficits. Our findings indicate the importance of the cerebellar cortex in delay eyeblink conditioning and suggest an important physiological role of prion protein in cerebellar motor learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasushi Kishimoto
- Laboratory of Neurobiophysics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Moritoshi Hirono
- Laboratory for Motor Learning Control, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Japan
| | - Ryuichiro Atarashi
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Suehiro Sakaguchi
- Division of Molecular Neurobiology, The Institute for Enzyme Research, The University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Tohru Yoshioka
- Center of Excellence for Environmental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Shigeru Katamine
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
- Center for International Collaborative Research, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Yutaka Kirino
- Laboratory of Neurobiophysics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- * E-mail:
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Kuczius T, Groschup MH. Regional phenotypes of cellular prion proteins in human brains identified by differential detergent solubility. Brain Res 2013; 1507:19-27. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2013.02.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2012] [Revised: 02/04/2013] [Accepted: 02/19/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Rushworth JV, Griffiths HH, Watt NT, Hooper NM. Prion protein-mediated toxicity of amyloid-β oligomers requires lipid rafts and the transmembrane LRP1. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:8935-51. [PMID: 23386614 PMCID: PMC3610967 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.400358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Soluble oligomers of the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide cause neurotoxicity, synaptic dysfunction, and memory impairments that underlie Alzheimer disease (AD). The cellular prion protein (PrPC) was recently identified as a high affinity neuronal receptor for Aβ oligomers. We report that fibrillar Aβ oligomers recognized by the OC antibody, which have been shown to correlate with the onset and severity of AD, bind preferentially to cells and neurons expressing PrPC. The binding of Aβ oligomers to cell surface PrPC, as well as their downstream activation of Fyn kinase, was dependent on the integrity of cholesterol-rich lipid rafts. In SH-SY5Y cells, fluorescence microscopy and co-localization with subcellular markers revealed that the Aβ oligomers co-internalized with PrPC, accumulated in endosomes, and subsequently trafficked to lysosomes. The cell surface binding, internalization, and downstream toxicity of Aβ oligomers was dependent on the transmembrane low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein-1 (LRP1). The binding of Aβ oligomers to cell surface PrPC impaired its ability to inhibit the activity of the β-secretase BACE1, which cleaves the amyloid precursor protein to produce Aβ. The green tea polyphenol (−)-epigallocatechin gallate and the red wine extract resveratrol both remodeled the fibrillar conformation of Aβ oligomers. The resulting nonfibrillar oligomers displayed significantly reduced binding to PrPC-expressing cells and were no longer cytotoxic. These data indicate that soluble, fibrillar Aβ oligomers bind to PrPC in a conformation-dependent manner and require the integrity of lipid rafts and the transmembrane LRP1 for their cytotoxicity, thus revealing potential targets to alleviate the neurotoxic properties of Aβ oligomers in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jo V Rushworth
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
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Poggiolini I, Legname G. Mapping the prion protein distribution in marsupials: insights from comparing opossum with mouse CNS. PLoS One 2012; 7:e50370. [PMID: 23209725 PMCID: PMC3510215 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0050370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2012] [Accepted: 10/18/2012] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The cellular form of the prion protein (PrPC) is a sialoglycoprotein widely expressed in the central nervous system (CNS) of mammalian species during neurodevelopment and in adulthood. The location of the protein in the CNS may play a role in the susceptibility of a species to fatal prion diseases, which are also known as the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). To date, little is known about PrPC distribution in marsupial mammals, for which no naturally occurring prion diseases have been reported. To extend our understanding of varying PrPC expression profiles in different mammals we carried out a detailed expression analysis of PrPC distribution along the neurodevelopment of the metatherian South American short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica). We detected lower levels of PrPC in white matter fiber bundles of opossum CNS compared to mouse CNS. This result is consistent with a possible role for PrPC in the distinct neurodevelopment and neurocircuitry found in marsupials compared to other mammalian species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Poggiolini
- Department of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Prion Biology, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Legname
- Department of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Prion Biology, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
- ELETTRA Laboratory, Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A., Basovizza, Trieste, Italy
- * E-mail:
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Bottone MG, Veronica DB, Piccolini VM, Bottiroli G, De Pascali SA, Fanizzi FP, Bernocchi G. Developmental expression of cellular prion protein and apoptotic molecules in the rat cerebellum: Effects of platinum compounds. J Chem Neuroanat 2012; 46:19-29. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2012.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2012] [Revised: 09/07/2012] [Accepted: 09/14/2012] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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Wang KKW, Zoltewicz JS, Chiu A, Zhang Z, Rubenstein R. Release of Full-Length PrP(C) from Cultured Neurons Following Neurotoxic Challenges. Front Neurol 2012; 3:147. [PMID: 23093947 PMCID: PMC3477638 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2012.00147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2012] [Accepted: 10/01/2012] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The susceptibility of the normal cellular prion protein isoform, cellular prion protein (PrP(C)), to proteolytic digestion has been well documented. In addition, a link between PrP(C) and the cytosolic protease, calpain, has been reported although the specifics of the interaction remain unclear. We performed in vitro and in cell-based studies to examine this relationship. We observed that human recombinant PrP (HrPrP) was readily cleaved by calpain-1 and -2, and we have identified and defined the targeted cleavage sites. In contrast, HrPrP was resistant to caspase-3 digestion. Unexpectedly, when brain lysates from PrP(C)-expressing mice were treated with calpain, no appreciable loss of the intact PrP(C), nor the appearance of PrP(C) breakdown products (BDPs) were observed, even though alpha II-spectrin was converted to its signature calpain-induced BDPs. In addition, when rat cerebrocortical neuronal cultures (RtCNC) were subjected to the two neurotoxins at subacute levels, maitotoxin (MTX) and N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA), PrP(C)-BDPs were also not detectable. However, a novel finding from these cell-based studies is that apparently full-length, mature PrP(C) is released into culture media from RtCNC challenged with subacute doses of MTX and NMDA. Calpain inhibitor SNJ-1945 and caspase inhibitor IDN-6556 did not attenuate the release of PrP(C). Similarly, the lysosomal protease inhibitor, NH(4)Cl, and the proteasome inhibitor, lactacystin, did not significantly alter the integrity of PrP(C) or its release from the RtCNC. In conclusion, rat neuronal PrP(C) is not a significant target for proteolytic modifications during MTX and NMDA neurotoxic challenges. However, the robust neurotoxin-mediated release of full-length PrP(C) into the cell culture media suggests an unidentified neuroprotective mechanism for PrP(C).
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin K. W. Wang
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Center of Neuroproteomics and Biomarker Research, McKnight Brain Institute, University of FloridaGainesville, FL, USA
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Central Nervous System Biomarkers, Departments of Neurology and Physiology/Pharmacology, State University of NewYork Downstate Medical CenterBrooklyn, NY, USA
| | | | - Allen Chiu
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Central Nervous System Biomarkers, Departments of Neurology and Physiology/Pharmacology, State University of NewYork Downstate Medical CenterBrooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Zhiqun Zhang
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Center of Neuroproteomics and Biomarker Research, McKnight Brain Institute, University of FloridaGainesville, FL, USA
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Central Nervous System Biomarkers, Departments of Neurology and Physiology/Pharmacology, State University of NewYork Downstate Medical CenterBrooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Richard Rubenstein
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Central Nervous System Biomarkers, Departments of Neurology and Physiology/Pharmacology, State University of NewYork Downstate Medical CenterBrooklyn, NY, USA
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McHugh PC, Wright JA, Williams RJ, Brown DR. Prion protein expression alters APP cleavage without interaction with BACE-1. Neurochem Int 2012; 61:672-80. [PMID: 22796214 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2012.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2012] [Revised: 06/13/2012] [Accepted: 07/03/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The prion protein (PrP) and the beta-site amyloid precursor protein (APP) cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE-1) are both copper binding proteins, but are associated with two separate neurodegenerative diseases. The role of BACE-1 in the formation of beta-amyloid has made it a major target in attempts to reduce the formation of beta-amyloid in Alzheimer's diseases. However, the suggestion that PrP, normally associated with prion diseases, binds to BACE-1 and reduces its activity has led to the suggestion that the study of this interaction could be of considerable importance to Alzheimer's disease. We therefore undertook to investigate the possible interaction of these two proteins physically and at the level of transcription, translation and APP cleavage. Our findings suggest that mature PrP and BACE-1 do not physically interact, but that altered PrP expression results in altered BACE-1 protein expression and promoter activity. Additionally, overexpression of PrP results in increased cleavage of APP in contrast to previous datas suggesting a reduction. Our findings suggest that any relation between PrP and BACE-1 is indirect. Altered expression of PrP causes changes in the expression of many other proteins which may be as a result of altered copper metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick C McHugh
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
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Rial D, Piermartiri TC, Duarte FS, Tasca CI, Walz R, Prediger RD. Overexpression of cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) prevents cognitive dysfunction and apoptotic neuronal cell death induced by amyloid-β (Aβ₁₋₄₀) administration in mice. Neuroscience 2012; 215:79-89. [PMID: 22537845 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.04.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2012] [Revised: 04/02/2012] [Accepted: 04/07/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) is a neuronal-anchored glycoprotein that has been associated with several functions in the CNS such as synaptic plasticity, learning and memory and neuroprotection. There is great interest in understanding the role of PrP(C) in the deleterious effects induced by the central accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides, a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, but the existent results are still controversial. Here we compared the effects of a single intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of aggregated Aβ(1-40) peptide (400pmol/mouse) on the spatial learning and memory performance as well as hippocampal cell death biomarkers in adult wild type (Prnp(+/+)), PrP(C) knockout (Prnp(0/0)) and the PrP(C) overexpressing Tg-20 mice. Tg-20 mice, which present a fivefold increase in PrP(C) expression in comparison to wild type mice, were resistant to the Aβ(1-40)-induced spatial learning and memory impairments as indicated by reduced escape latencies to find the platform and higher percentage of time spent in the correct quadrant during training and probe test sessions of the water maze task. The protection against Aβ(1-40)-induced cognitive impairments observed in Tg-20 mice was accompanied by a significant decrease in the hippocampal expression of the activated caspase-3 protein and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio as well as reduced hippocampal cell damage assessed by MTT and propidium iodide incorporation assays. These findings indicate that the overexpression of PrP(C) prevents Aβ(1-40)-induced spatial learning and memory deficits in mice and that this response is mediated, at least in part, by the modulation of programed cell death pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Rial
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, UFSC, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
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Petit-Paitel A, Ménard B, Guyon A, Béringue V, Nahon JL, Zsürger N, Chabry J. Prion protein is a key determinant of alcohol sensitivity through the modulation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) activity. PLoS One 2012; 7:e34691. [PMID: 22536327 PMCID: PMC3335038 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0034691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2012] [Accepted: 03/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The prion protein (PrP) is absolutely required for the development of prion diseases; nevertheless, its physiological functions in the central nervous system remain elusive. Using a combination of behavioral, electrophysiological and biochemical approaches in transgenic mouse models, we provide strong evidence for a crucial role of PrP in alcohol sensitivity. Indeed, PrP knock out (PrP−/−) mice presented a greater sensitivity to the sedative effects of EtOH compared to wild-type (wt) control mice. Conversely, compared to wt mice, those over-expressing mouse, human or hamster PrP genes presented a relative insensitivity to ethanol-induced sedation. An acute tolerance (i.e. reversion) to ethanol inhibition of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-mediated excitatory post-synaptic potentials in hippocampal slices developed slower in PrP−/− mice than in wt mice. We show that PrP is required to induce acute tolerance to ethanol by activating a Src-protein tyrosine kinase-dependent intracellular signaling pathway. In an attempt to decipher the molecular mechanisms underlying PrP-dependent ethanol effect, we looked for changes in lipid raft features in hippocampus of ethanol-treated wt mice compared to PrP−/− mice. Ethanol induced rapid and transient changes of buoyancy of lipid raft-associated proteins in hippocampus of wt but not PrP−/− mice suggesting a possible mechanistic link for PrP-dependent signal transduction. Together, our results reveal a hitherto unknown physiological role of PrP on the regulation of NMDAR activity and highlight its crucial role in synaptic functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnès Petit-Paitel
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Valbonne, France
| | - Baptiste Ménard
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Valbonne, France
| | - Alice Guyon
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Valbonne, France
| | - Vincent Béringue
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, UR892, Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Jean-Louis Nahon
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Valbonne, France
| | - Nicole Zsürger
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Valbonne, France
| | - Joëlle Chabry
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Valbonne, France
- * E-mail:
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Urso E, Manno D, Serra A, Buccolieri A, Rizzello A, Danieli A, Acierno R, Salvato B, Maffia M. Role of the Cellular Prion Protein in the Neuron Adaptation Strategy to Copper Deficiency. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2012; 32:989-1001. [DOI: 10.1007/s10571-012-9815-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2011] [Accepted: 02/07/2012] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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Bate C, Williams A. Neurodegeneration induced by clustering of sialylated glycosylphosphatidylinositols of prion proteins. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:7935-44. [PMID: 22262833 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m111.275743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, more commonly known as the prion diseases, are associated with the production and aggregation of disease-related isoforms of the prion protein (PrP(Sc)). The mechanisms by which PrP(Sc) accumulation causes neurodegeneration in these diseases are poorly understood. In cultured neurons, the addition of PrP(Sc) alters cell membranes, increasing cholesterol, activating cytoplasmic phospholipase A(2) (cPLA(2)), and triggering synapse damage. These effects of PrP(Sc) are dependent upon its glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor, suggesting that it is the increased density of GPIs that occurs following the aggregation of PrP(Sc) molecules that triggers neurodegeneration. This hypothesis was supported by observations that cross-linkage of the normal cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) also increased membrane cholesterol, activated cPLA(2), and triggered synapse damage. These effects were not seen after cross-linkage of Thy-1, another GPI-anchored protein, and were dependent on the GPI anchor attached to PrP(C) containing two acyl chains and sialic acid. We propose that the aggregation of PrP(Sc), or the cross-linkage of PrP(C), causes the clustering of sialic acid-containing GPI anchors at high densities, resulting in altered membrane composition, the pathological activation of cPLA(2), and synapse damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clive Bate
- Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 7TA, United Kingdom.
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Watt NT, Taylor DR, Kerrigan TL, Griffiths HH, Rushworth JV, Whitehouse IJ, Hooper NM. Prion protein facilitates uptake of zinc into neuronal cells. Nat Commun 2012; 3:1134. [PMID: 23072804 PMCID: PMC3493655 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2011] [Accepted: 09/14/2012] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Zinc is released into the synaptic cleft upon exocytotic stimuli, although the mechanism for its reuptake into neurons is unresolved. Here we show that the cellular prion protein enhances the uptake of zinc into neuronal cells. This prion-protein-mediated zinc influx requires the octapeptide repeats and amino-terminal polybasic region in the prion protein, but not its endocytosis. Selective antagonists of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate (AMPA) receptors block the prion protein-mediated zinc uptake, and the prion protein co-immunoprecipitates with both GluA1 and GluA2 AMPA receptor subunits. Zinc-sensitive intracellular tyrosine phosphatase activity is decreased in cells expressing prion protein and increased in the brains of prion-protein-null mice, providing evidence of a physiological consequence of this process. Prion protein-mediated zinc uptake is ablated in cells expressing familial associated mutants of the protein and in prion-infected cells. These data suggest that alterations in the cellular prion protein-mediated zinc uptake may contribute to neurodegeneration in prion and other neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole T. Watt
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - David R. Taylor
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Talitha L. Kerrigan
- Division of Cardiovascular and Neuronal Remodelling, Leeds Institute of Genetics, Health and Therapeutics, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
- Present address: Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Henry Wellcome LINE and MRC Centre for Synaptic Plasticity, University of Bristol, Bristol BS1 3NY, UK
| | - Heledd H. Griffiths
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Jo V. Rushworth
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Isobel J. Whitehouse
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Nigel M. Hooper
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
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Davies P, McHugh PC, Hammond VJ, Marken F, Brown DR. Contribution of Individual Histidines to Prion Protein Copper Binding. Biochemistry 2011; 50:10781-91. [DOI: 10.1021/bi2012349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Paul Davies
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry and ‡Department of Chemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, U.K
| | - Patrick C. McHugh
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry and ‡Department of Chemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, U.K
| | - Victoria J. Hammond
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry and ‡Department of Chemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, U.K
| | - Frank Marken
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry and ‡Department of Chemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, U.K
| | - David R. Brown
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry and ‡Department of Chemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, U.K
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Tecchio F, Assenza G, Zappasodi F, Mariani S, Salustri C, Squitti R. Glutamate-mediated primary somatosensory cortex excitability correlated with circulating copper and ceruloplasmin. Int J Alzheimers Dis 2011; 2011:292593. [PMID: 22145081 PMCID: PMC3227495 DOI: 10.4061/2011/292593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2011] [Revised: 08/08/2011] [Accepted: 08/29/2011] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective. To verify whether markers of metal homeostasis are related to a magnetoencephalographic index representative of glutamate-mediated excitability of the primary somatosensory cortex. The index is identified as the source strength of the earliest component (M20) of the somatosensory magnetic fields (SEFs) evoked by right median nerve stimulation at wrist. Method. Thirty healthy right-handed subjects (51 ± 22 years) were enrolled in the study. A source reconstruction algorithm was applied to assess the amount of synchronously activated neurons subtending the M20 and the following SEF component (M30), which is generated by two independent contributions of gabaergic and glutamatergic transmission. Serum copper, ceruloplasmin, iron, transferrin, transferrin saturation, and zinc levels were measured. Results. Total copper and ceruloplasmin negatively correlated with the M20 source strength. Conclusion. This pilot study suggests that higher level of body copper reserve, as marked by ceruloplasmin variations, parallels lower cortical glutamatergic responsiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franca Tecchio
- Laboratory for Electrophysiology for Translational neuroScience (LET'S), Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione (ISTC), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Fatebenefratelli Hospital Isola Tiberina, Rome, Italy
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Williams SK, Fairless R, Weise J, Kalinke U, Schulz-Schaeffer W, Diem R. Neuroprotective effects of the cellular prion protein in autoimmune optic neuritis. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2011; 178:2823-31. [PMID: 21641403 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2011.02.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2010] [Revised: 02/15/2011] [Accepted: 02/23/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Although the pathologic role of the prion protein in transmissible spongiform encephalopathic diseases has been widely investigated, the physiologic role of the cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) is not known. Among the many functions attributed to PrP(C), there is increasing evidence that it is involved in cell survival and mediates neuroprotection. A potential role in the immune response has also been suggested. However, how these two functions interplay in autoimmune disease is unclear. To address this, autoimmune optic neuritis, a model of multiple sclerosis, was induced in C57Bl/6 mice, and up-regulation of PrP(C) was observed throughout the disease course. In addition, compared with wild-type mice, in PrP(C)-deficient mice and mice overexpressing PrP(C), histopathologic analysis demonstrated that optic neuritis was exacerbated, as indicated by axonal degeneration, inflammatory infiltration, and demyelination. However, significant neuroprotection of retinal ganglion cells, the axons of which form the optic nerve, was observed in mice that overexpressed PrP(C). Conversely, mice lacking PrP(C) demonstrated significantly more neurodegeneration. This suggests that PrP(C) may have a neuroprotective function independent of its role in regulating the immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K Williams
- Department of Neurology, University of the Saarland, Homburg/Saar, Germany.
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Tiffany‐Castiglioni E, Hong S, Qian Y. Copper handling by astrocytes: Insights into neurodegenerative diseases. Int J Dev Neurosci 2011; 29:811-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2011.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2011] [Revised: 09/13/2011] [Accepted: 09/14/2011] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn Tiffany‐Castiglioni
- Department of Veterinary Integrative BiosciencesTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasTX77843United States
| | | | - Yongchang Qian
- Department of Veterinary Integrative BiosciencesTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasTX77843United States
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Zou WQ, Zhou X, Yuan J, Xiao X. Insoluble cellular prion protein and its association with prion and Alzheimer diseases. Prion 2011; 5:172-8. [PMID: 21847014 DOI: 10.4161/pri.5.3.16894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The soluble cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) is best known for its association with prion disease (PrD) through its conversion to a pathogenic insoluble isoform (PrP(Sc)). However, its deleterious effects independent of PrP(Sc) have recently been observed not only in PrD but also in Alzheimer disease (AD), two diseases which mainly affect cognition. At the same time, PrP(C) itself seems to have broad physiologic functions including involvement in cognitive processes. The PrP(C) that is believed to be soluble and monomeric has so far been the only PrP conformer observed in the uninfected brain. In 2006, we identified an insoluble PrP(C) conformer (termed iPrP(C) ) in uninfected human and animal brains. Remarkably, the PrP(Sc) -like iPrPC shares the immunoreactivity behavior and fragmentation with a newly-identified PrP(Sc) species in a novel human PrD termed variably protease-sensitive prionopathy. Moreover, iPrP(C) has been observed as the major PrP species that interacts with amyloid β (Aβ) in AD. This article highlights evidence of PrP involvement in two putatively beneficial and deleterious PrP-implicated pathways in cognition, and hypothesizes first, that beneficial and deleterious effects of PrP(C) are attributable to the chameleon-like conformation of the protein and second, that the iPrP(C) conformer is associated with PrD and AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Quan Zou
- Department of Pathology, National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.
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Dibattista M, Massimino ML, Maurya DK, Menini A, Bertoli A, Sorgato MC. The Cellular Prion Protein Is Expressed in Olfactory Sensory Neurons of Adult Mice but Does Not Affect the Early Events of the Olfactory Transduction Pathway. Chem Senses 2011; 36:791-7. [DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjr054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Kuczius T, Kleinert J, Karch H, Sibrowski W, Kelsch R. Cellular prion proteins in human platelets show a phenotype different to those in brain tissues. J Cell Biochem 2011; 112:954-62. [PMID: 21328470 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.23012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases are characterized by high accumulation of infectious prion proteins (PrP(Sc)) in brains. PrP(Sc) are propagated by the conversion of host-encoded cellular prion proteins (PrP(C)) which are essential for developing the disease but are heterogeneously expressed in brains. The disease can be transmitted to humans and animals through blood and blood products, however, little attention has been given to molecular characterization of PrP(C) in blood cells. In this presented study, we characterized phenotypically PrP(C) of platelets (plt) and characterized the proteins regarding their glycobanding profiles by quantitative immunoblotting using a panel of monoclonal antibodies. The glycosylation patterns of plt and brain PrP(C) were compared using the ratios of di-, mono-, and non-glycosylated prions. The detergent solubility of plt and brain PrP(C) was also analyzed. The distinct banding patterns and detergent solubility of plt PrP(C) differed clearly from the glycosylation profiles and solubility characteristics of brain PrP(C). Plt PrP(C) exhibited single or only few prion protein types, whereas brain PrP(C) showed more extensive banding patterns and lower detergent solubility. Plt PrP(C) are post-translational modified differently from PrP(C) in brain. These findings suggest other or less physiological functions of plt PrP(C) than in brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thorsten Kuczius
- Institute for Hygiene, Westfälische Wilhelms-University and University Hospital Münster, Robert Koch-Strasse 41, 48149 Münster, Germany.
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Aude-Garcia C, Villiers C, Candéias SM, Garrel C, Bertrand C, Collin V, Marche PN, Jouvin-Marche E. Enhanced susceptibility of T lymphocytes to oxidative stress in the absence of the cellular prion protein. Cell Mol Life Sci 2011; 68:687-96. [PMID: 20717837 PMCID: PMC11114857 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-010-0477-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2010] [Revised: 07/08/2010] [Accepted: 07/21/2010] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The cellular prion glycoprotein (PrP(C)) is ubiquitously expressed but its physiologic functions remain enigmatic, particularly in the immune system. Here, we demonstrate in vitro and in vivo that PrP(C) is involved in T lymphocytes response to oxidative stress. By monitoring the intracellular level of reduced glutathione, we show that PrP(-/-) thymocytes display a higher susceptibility to H(2)O(2) exposure than PrP(+/+) cells. Furthermore, we find that in mice fed with a restricted diet, a regimen known to increase the intracellular level of ROS, PrP(-/-) thymocytes are more sensitive to oxidative stress. PrP(C) function appears to be specific for oxidative stress, since no significant differences are observed between PrP(-/-) and PrP(+/+) mice exposed to other kinds of stress. We also show a marked evolution of the redox status of T cells throughout differentiation in the thymus. Taken together, our results clearly ascribe to PrP(C) a protective function in thymocytes against oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Aude-Garcia
- CEA, DSV, iRTSV, Laboratoire Biochimie et Biophysique des Systèmes Intégrés, 17 rue des Martyrs, 38054, Grenoble Cedex 9, France.
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Pushie MJ, Pickering IJ, Martin GR, Tsutsui S, Jirik FR, George GN. Prion protein expression level alters regional copper, iron and zinc content in the mouse brain. Metallomics 2011; 3:206-14. [PMID: 21264406 DOI: 10.1039/c0mt00037j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The central role of the prion protein (PrP) in a family of fatal neurodegenerate diseases has garnered considerable research interest over the past two decades. Moreover, the role of PrP in neuronal development, as well as its apparent role in metal homeostasis, is increasingly of interest. The host-encoded form of the prion protein (PrP(C)) binds multiple copper atoms via its N-terminal domain and can influence brain copper and iron levels. The importance of PrP(C) to the regulation of brain metal homeostasis and metal distribution, however, is not fully understood. We therefore employed synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence imaging to map the level and distributions of several key metals in the brains of mice that express different levels of PrP(C). Brain sections from wild-type, prion gene knockout (Prnp(-/-)) and PrP(C) over-expressing mice revealed striking variation in the levels of iron, copper, and even zinc in specific brain regions as a function of PrP(C) expression. Our results indicate that one important function of PrP(C) may be to regulate the amount and distribution of specific metals within the central nervous system. This raises the possibility that PrP(C) levels, or its activity, might regulate the progression of diseases in which altered metal homeostasis is thought to play a pathogenic role such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Wilson's diseases and disorders such as hemochromatosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Jake Pushie
- Molecular and Environmental Science Research Group, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 114 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5E2, Canada.
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