1
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Tavşanlı A, Balta B. Conversion of Helix 1 into a Loop in Prion Protein Misfolding. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:7191-7200. [PMID: 36844589 PMCID: PMC9948551 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c00212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Cellular prion protein PrPC consists of three α-helices, one β-sheet, and an unstructured N-terminal domain. Misfolding of this protein into the scrapie form (PrPSc) increases dramatically the β-sheet content. H1 is the most stable helix on PrPC and contains an unusual number of hydrophilic amino acids. Its fate in PrPSc is not clear. We performed replica exchange molecular dynamics simulations on H1 alone, H1 together with an N-terminally flanking H1B1 loop and H1 in complex with other hydrophilic regions of the prion protein. In the presence of the H99SQWNKPSKPKTNMK113 sequence, H1 is almost completely converted to a loop structure stabilized by a network of salt bridges. On the other hand, H1 retains its helical structure alone or together with the other sequences considered in this study. We carried out an additional simulation by restraining the distance between the two ends of H1, mimicking a possible geometric restriction by the rest of the protein. Even though the loop was the major conformation, a significant amount of helical structure was also observed. This suggests that the interaction with H99SQWNKPSKPKTNMK113 is necessary for complete helix-to-loop conversion.
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2
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Esmaili M, Eldeeb M. Cellular toxicity of scrapie prions in prion diseases; a biochemical and molecular overview. Mol Biol Rep 2023; 50:1743-1752. [PMID: 36446981 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-07806-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) or prion diseases consist of a broad range of fatal neurological disorders affecting humans and animals. Contrary to Watson and Crick's 'central dogma', prion diseases are caused by a protein, devoid of DNA involvement. Herein, we briefly review various cellular and biological aspects of prions and prion pathogenesis focusing mainly on historical milestones, biosynthesis, degradation, structure-function of cellular and scrapie forms of prions .
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Affiliation(s)
- Mansoore Esmaili
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
| | - Mohamed Eldeeb
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
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3
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Glynn C, Hernandez E, Gallagher-Jones M, Miao J, Sigurdson CJ, Rodriguez JA. Structural consequences of sequence variation in mammalian prion β2α2 loop segments. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:960322. [PMID: 36389229 PMCID: PMC9645039 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.960322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Sequence variation in the β2α2 loop, residues 165-175 of the mammalian prion protein (PrP), influences its structure. To better understand the consequences of sequence variation in this region of the protein, we biochemically and biophysically interrogate natural and artificial sequence variants of the β2α2 loop of mammalian PrP. Using microcrystal electron diffraction (MicroED), we determine atomic resolution structures of segments encompassing residues 168-176 from the β2α2 loop of PrP with sequences corresponding to human, mouse/cow, bank vole/hamster, rabbit/pig/guinea pig, and naked mole rat (elk-T174S) β2α2 loops, as well as synthetic β2α2 loop sequences. This collection of structures presents two dominant amyloid packing polymorphisms. In the first polymorph, denoted "clasped", side chains within a sheet form polar clasps by facing each other on the same strand, exemplified by the mouse/cow, human, and bank vole/hamster sequences. Because its stability is derived from within a strand and through polar ladders within a sheet, the sequence requirements for the mating strand are less restrictive. A second polymorph, denoted "interdigitated," has sidechains interdigitate across mating sheets, exemplified by the elk, naked mole rat (elk T174S), and rabbit sequences. The two types of packing present distinct networks of stabilizing hydrogen bonds. The identity of residue 174 appears to strongly influence the packing adopted in these peptides, but consideration of the overall sequence of a given segment is needed to understand the stability of its assemblies. Incorporation of these β2α2 loop sequences into an 85 residue recombinant segment encoding wild-type bank vole PrP94-178 demonstrates that even single residue substitutions could impact fibril morphology as evaluated by negative stain electron microscopy. This is in line with recent findings supporting the accessibility of different structural geometries by varied mammalian prion sequences, and indicates that sequence-specific polymorphisms may be influenced by residues in the β2α2 loop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calina Glynn
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, STROBE NSF Science and Technology Center, UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Evelyn Hernandez
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, STROBE NSF Science and Technology Center, UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Marcus Gallagher-Jones
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, STROBE NSF Science and Technology Center, UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Jennifer Miao
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, STROBE NSF Science and Technology Center, UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Christina J. Sigurdson
- Department of Pathology and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Jose A. Rodriguez
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, STROBE NSF Science and Technology Center, UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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4
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Yagita K, Noguchi H, Koyama S, Hamasaki H, Komori T, Aishima S, Kosaka T, Ueda M, Komohara Y, Watanabe A, Sasagasako N, Ninomiya T, Oda Y, Honda H. Chronological Changes in the Expression Pattern of Hippocampal Prion Proteins During Disease Progression in Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease MM1 Subtype. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2022; 81:900-909. [PMID: 36063412 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlac078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The differential effects of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) on the hippocampus and other neocortical areas are poorly understood. We aimed to reveal the histological patterns of cellular prion protein (PrPC) and abnormal prion protein (PrPSc) in hippocampi of sCJD patients and normal controls (NCs). Our study examined 18 postmortem sCJD patients (MM1, 14 cases; MM1 + 2c, 3 cases; MM1 + 2t, 1 case) and 12 NCs. Immunohistochemistry was conducted using 4 primary antibodies, of which 3 targeted the N-terminus of the prion protein (PrP), and 1 (EP1802Y) targeted the C-terminal domain. PrPC expression was abundant in the hippocampus of NCs, and the distribution of PrPC at CA3/4 was reminiscent of synaptic complexes. In sCJD cases with a disease history of <2 years, antibodies against the N-terminus could not detect synapse-like PrP expression at CA4; however, EP1802Y could characterize the synapse-like expression. PrPSc accumulation and spongiform changes became evident after 2 years of illness, when PrPSc deposits were more noticeably detected by N-terminal-specific antibodies. Our findings highlighted the chronology of histopathological alterations in the CA4 region in sCJD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaoru Yagita
- Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Hideko Noguchi
- Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Sachiko Koyama
- Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Hideomi Hamasaki
- Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takashi Komori
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Tokyo Metropolitan Neurological Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinichi Aishima
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Saga, Saga, Japan
| | - Takayuki Kosaka
- Department of Neurology, National Hospital Organization Kumamoto Medical Center, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Mitsuharu Ueda
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Komohara
- Department of Cell Pathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Akihiro Watanabe
- Department of Neurology, Neuro-Muscular Center, National Omuta Hospital, Omuta, Japan
| | - Naokazu Sasagasako
- Department of Neurology, Neuro-Muscular Center, National Omuta Hospital, Omuta, Japan
| | - Toshiharu Ninomiya
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.,Department of Center for Cohort Studies, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yoshinao Oda
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Honda
- Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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5
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Artikis E, Kraus A, Caughey B. Structural biology of ex vivo mammalian prions. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102181. [PMID: 35752366 PMCID: PMC9293645 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The structures of prion protein (PrP)–based mammalian prions have long been elusive. However, cryo-EM has begun to reveal the near-atomic resolution structures of fully infectious ex vivo mammalian prion fibrils as well as relatively innocuous synthetic PrP amyloids. Comparisons of these various types of PrP fibrils are now providing initial clues to structural features that correlate with pathogenicity. As first indicated by electron paramagnetic resonance and solid-state NMR studies of synthetic amyloids, all sufficiently resolved PrP fibrils of any sort (n > 10) have parallel in-register intermolecular β-stack architectures. Cryo-EM has shown that infectious brain-derived prion fibrils of the rodent-adapted 263K and RML scrapie strains have much larger ordered cores than the synthetic fibrils. These bona fide prion strains share major structural motifs, but the conformational details and the overall shape of the fibril cross sections differ markedly. Such motif variations, as well as differences in sequence within the ordered polypeptide cores, likely contribute to strain-dependent templating. When present, N-linked glycans and glycophosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchors project outward from the fibril surface. For the mouse RML strain, these posttranslational modifications have little effect on the core structure. In the GPI-anchored prion structures, a linear array of GPI anchors along the twisting fibril axis appears likely to bind membranes in vivo, and as such, may account for pathognomonic membrane distortions seen in prion diseases. In this review, we focus on these infectious prion structures and their implications regarding prion replication mechanisms, strains, transmission barriers, and molecular pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Efrosini Artikis
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840 USA
| | - Allison Kraus
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
| | - Byron Caughey
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840 USA.
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6
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Chu BK, Tsai R, Hung C, Kuo Y, Chen EH, Chiang Y, Chan SI, Chen RP. Location of the cross‐β structure in prion fibrils: A search by seeding and electron spin resonance spectroscopy. Protein Sci 2022; 31:e4326. [DOI: 10.1002/pro.4326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Brett K.‐Y. Chu
- Institute of Biological Chemistry Academia Sinica Taipei Taiwan
- Department of Chemistry National Taiwan University Taipei Taiwan
| | - Ruei‐Fong Tsai
- Department of Chemistry National Tsing Hua University Hsinchu Taiwan
| | - Chien‐Lun Hung
- Department of Chemistry National Tsing Hua University Hsinchu Taiwan
| | - Yun‐Hsuan Kuo
- Department of Chemistry National Tsing Hua University Hsinchu Taiwan
| | - Eric H.‐L. Chen
- Institute of Biological Chemistry Academia Sinica Taipei Taiwan
| | - Yun‐Wei Chiang
- Department of Chemistry National Tsing Hua University Hsinchu Taiwan
| | - Sunney I. Chan
- Department of Chemistry National Taiwan University Taipei Taiwan
- Institute of Chemistry Academia Sinica Taipei Taiwan
| | - Rita P.‐Y. Chen
- Institute of Biological Chemistry Academia Sinica Taipei Taiwan
- Institute of Biochemical Sciences National Taiwan University Taipei Taiwan
- Neuroscience Program of Academia Sinica Academia Sinica Taipei Taiwan
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7
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Khadka A, Spiers JG, Cheng L, Hill AF. Extracellular vesicles with diagnostic and therapeutic potential for prion diseases. Cell Tissue Res 2022; 392:247-267. [PMID: 35394216 PMCID: PMC10113352 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-022-03621-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases (PrD) or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) are invariably fatal and pathogenic neurodegenerative disorders caused by the self-propagated misfolding of cellular prion protein (PrPC) to the neurotoxic pathogenic form (PrPTSE) via a yet undefined but profoundly complex mechanism. Despite several decades of research on PrD, the basic understanding of where and how PrPC is transformed to the misfolded, aggregation-prone and pathogenic PrPTSE remains elusive. The primary clinical hallmarks of PrD include vacuolation-associated spongiform changes and PrPTSE accumulation in neural tissue together with astrogliosis. The difficulty in unravelling the disease mechanisms has been related to the rare occurrence and long incubation period (over decades) followed by a very short clinical phase (few months). Additional challenge in unravelling the disease is implicated to the unique nature of the agent, its complexity and strain diversity, resulting in the heterogeneity of the clinical manifestations and potentially diverse disease mechanisms. Recent advances in tissue isolation and processing techniques have identified novel means of intercellular communication through extracellular vesicles (EVs) that contribute to PrPTSE transmission in PrD. This review will comprehensively discuss PrPTSE transmission and neurotoxicity, focusing on the role of EVs in disease progression, biomarker discovery and potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of PrD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arun Khadka
- Department of Biochemistry & Chemistry, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Jereme G Spiers
- Department of Biochemistry & Chemistry, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Lesley Cheng
- Department of Biochemistry & Chemistry, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Andrew F Hill
- Department of Biochemistry & Chemistry, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia. .,Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Footscray, VIC, Australia.
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8
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Hassan MN, Nabi F, Khan AN, Hussain M, Siddiqui WA, Uversky VN, Khan RH. The amyloid state of proteins: A boon or bane? Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 200:593-617. [PMID: 35074333 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.01.115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Proteins and their aggregation is significant field of research due to their association with various conformational maladies including well-known neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's (AD), Parkinson's (PD), and Huntington's (HD) diseases. Amyloids despite being given negative role for decades are also believed to play a functional role in bacteria to humans. In this review, we discuss both facets of amyloid. We have shed light on AD, which is one of the most common age-related neurodegenerative disease caused by accumulation of Aβ fibrils as extracellular senile plagues. We also discuss PD caused by the aggregation and deposition of α-synuclein in form of Lewy bodies and neurites. Other amyloid-associated diseases such as HD and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are also discussed. We have also reviewed functional amyloids that have various biological roles in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes that includes formation of biofilm and cell attachment in bacteria to hormone storage in humans, We discuss in detail the role of Curli fibrils' in biofilm formation, chaplins in cell attachment to peptide hormones, and Pre-Melansomal Protein (PMEL) roles. The disease-related and functional amyloids are compared with regard to their structural integrity, variation in regulation, and speed of forming aggregates and elucidate how amyloids have turned from foe to friend.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Nadir Hassan
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
| | - Faisal Nabi
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
| | - Asra Nasir Khan
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
| | - Murtaza Hussain
- Department of Biochemistry, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
| | - Waseem A Siddiqui
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
| | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Protein Research Group, Institute for Biological Instrumentation of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 10 Federal Research Center "Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy 11 of Sciences", Pushchino, Moscow Region 142290, Russia; Department of Molecular Medicine, USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College 13 of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, United States
| | - Rizwan Hasan Khan
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India.
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9
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Virus Infection, Genetic Mutations, and Prion Infection in Prion Protein Conversion. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222212439. [PMID: 34830321 PMCID: PMC8624980 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Conformational conversion of the cellular isoform of prion protein, PrPC, into the abnormally folded, amyloidogenic isoform, PrPSc, is an underlying pathogenic mechanism in prion diseases. The diseases manifest as sporadic, hereditary, and acquired disorders. Etiological mechanisms driving the conversion of PrPC into PrPSc are unknown in sporadic prion diseases, while prion infection and specific mutations in the PrP gene are known to cause the conversion of PrPC into PrPSc in acquired and hereditary prion diseases, respectively. We recently reported that a neurotropic strain of influenza A virus (IAV) induced the conversion of PrPC into PrPSc as well as formation of infectious prions in mouse neuroblastoma cells after infection, suggesting the causative role of the neuronal infection of IAV in sporadic prion diseases. Here, we discuss the conversion mechanism of PrPC into PrPSc in different types of prion diseases, by presenting our findings of the IAV infection-induced conversion of PrPC into PrPSc and by reviewing the so far reported transgenic animal models of hereditary prion diseases and the reverse genetic studies, which have revealed the structure-function relationship for PrPC to convert into PrPSc after prion infection.
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10
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Wang LQ, Zhao K, Yuan HY, Li XN, Dang HB, Ma Y, Wang Q, Wang C, Sun Y, Chen J, Li D, Zhang D, Yin P, Liu C, Liang Y. Genetic prion disease-related mutation E196K displays a novel amyloid fibril structure revealed by cryo-EM. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabg9676. [PMID: 34516876 PMCID: PMC8442898 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg9676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Prion diseases are caused by the conformational conversion of prion protein (PrP). Forty-two different mutations were identified in human PrP, leading to genetic prion diseases with distinct clinical syndromes. Here, we report the cryo–electron microscopy structure of an amyloid fibril formed by full-length human PrP with E196K mutation, a genetic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease–related mutation. This mutation disrupts key interactions in the wild-type PrP fibril, forming an amyloid fibril with a conformation distinct from the wild-type PrP fibril and hamster brain–derived prion fibril. The E196K fibril consists of two protofibrils. Each subunit forms five β strands stabilized by a disulfide bond and an unusual hydrophilic cavity stabilized by a salt bridge. Four pairs of amino acids from opposing subunits form four salt bridges to stabilize the zigzag interface of the two protofibrils. Our results provide structural evidences of the diverse prion strains and highlight the importance of familial mutations in inducing different strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Qiang Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Kun Zhao
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Han-Ye Yuan
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Xiang-Ning Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Hai-Bin Dang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Yeyang Ma
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qiang Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Centre of Plant Gene Research, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Chen Wang
- Department of Biophysics and Department of Pathology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Yunpeng Sun
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jie Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Dan Li
- Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Bio-X Institutes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Delin Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Centre of Plant Gene Research, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Ping Yin
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Centre of Plant Gene Research, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Cong Liu
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yi Liang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
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11
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Serpa JJ, Popov KI, Petrotchenko EV, Dokholyan NV, Borchers CH. Structure of prion β-oligomers as determined by short-distance crosslinking constraint-guided discrete molecular dynamics simulations. Proteomics 2021; 21:e2000298. [PMID: 34482645 PMCID: PMC9285417 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.202000298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The conversion of the native monomeric cellular prion protein (PrPC ) into an aggregated pathological β-oligomeric form (PrPβ ) and an infectious form (PrPSc ) is the central element in the development of prion diseases. The structure of the aggregates and the molecular mechanisms of the conformational changes involved in the conversion are still unknown. We applied mass spectrometry combined with chemical crosslinking, hydrogen/deuterium exchange, limited proteolysis, and surface modification for the differential characterization of the native and the urea+acid-converted prion β-oligomer structures to obtain insights into the mechanisms of conversion and aggregation. For the determination of the structure of the monomer and the dimer unit of the β-oligomer, we applied a recently-developed approach for de novo protein structure determination which is based on the incorporation of zero-length and short-distance crosslinking data as intra- and inter-protein constraints in discrete molecular dynamics simulations (CL-DMD). Based on all of the structural-proteomics experimental data and the computationally predicted structures of the monomer units, we propose the potential mode of assembly of the β-oligomer. The proposed β-oligomer assembly provides a clue on the β-sheet nucleation site, and how template-based conversion of the native prion molecule occurs, growth of the prion aggregates, and maturation into fibrils may occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason J Serpa
- University of Victoria -Genome British Columbia Proteomics Centre, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Konstantin I Popov
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Evgeniy V Petrotchenko
- Segal Cancer Proteomics Centre, Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Center for Computational and Data-Intensive Science and Engineering, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Nikolay V Dokholyan
- Department of Pharmacology, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Christoph H Borchers
- Segal Cancer Proteomics Centre, Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Center for Computational and Data-Intensive Science and Engineering, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia.,Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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12
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Chatterjee S, Salimi A, Lee JY. Unraveling the Histidine Tautomerism Effect on the Initial Stages of Prion Misfolding: New Insights from a Computational Perspective. ACS Chem Neurosci 2021; 12:3203-3213. [PMID: 34382391 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.1c00376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The aggregation and structural conversion of normal prion peptide (PrPC) into the pathogenic scrapie form (PrPSc), which can act as a seed to enhance prion amyloid fiber formation, is believed to be a crucial event in prionopathies. Previous research suggests that the prion monomer may play an important role in oligomer generation during disease pathogenesis. In the present study, extensive replica-exchange molecular dynamics (REMD) simulations were conducted to explore the conformational characteristics of the huPrP (125-160) monomer under the histidine tautomerism effect. Investigating the structural characteristics and fibrilization process is challenging because two histidine tautomers [Nε2-H (ε) and Nδ1-H (δ)] can occur in the open neutral state. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation outcomes have shown that the toxic εδ and δδ isomer (containing several and broader local minima) had the highest α-helix structures, with contents of 21.11% and 21.01%, respectively, and may have a strong influence on the organizational behavior of a monomeric prion. The amino acids aspartate 20 (D20)-asparagine 29 (N29) and isoleucine 15 (I15)-histidine 16 (H16), D20-arginine 27 (R27) as well as N29 formed α-helix with the highest probabilities in the δδ and εδ isomer, accordingly. On the basis of our findings, we propose the histidine tautomerization hypothesis as a new prion accumulation mechanism, which may exist to induce the formation of prion accumulates. Overall, our tautomerism hypothesis constitutes a promising perspective for enhancing understanding of prion disease pathobiology and may help in the design of a good inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Abbas Salimi
- Department of Chemistry, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746, Korea
| | - Jin Yong Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746, Korea
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13
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Abstract
Prion diseases are neurodegenerative disorders caused by conformational conversion of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) into scrapie prion protein (PrPSc). As the main component of prion, PrPSc acts as an infectious template that recruits and converts normal cellular PrPC into its pathogenic, misfolded isoform. Intriguingly, the phenomenon of prionoid, or prion-like, spread has also been observed in many other disease-associated proteins, such as amyloid β (Aβ), tau and α-synuclein. This Cell Science at a Glance and the accompanying poster highlight recently described physiological roles of prion protein and the advanced understanding of pathogenesis of prion disease they have afforded. Importantly, prion protein may also be involved in the pathogenesis of other neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Therapeutic studies of prion disease have also exploited novel strategies to combat these devastating diseases. Future studies on prion protein and prion disease will deepen our understanding of the pathogenesis of a broad spectrum of neurodegenerative conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caihong Zhu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Zürich, Zürich, CH-8091, Switzerland
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14
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Palaniappan C, Narayanan RC, Sekar K. Mutation-Dependent Refolding of Prion Protein Unveils Amyloidogenic-Related Structural Ramifications: Insights from Molecular Dynamics Simulations. ACS Chem Neurosci 2021; 12:2810-2819. [PMID: 34296847 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.1c00142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The main focus of prion structural biology studies is to understand the molecular basis of prion diseases caused by misfolding, and aggregation of the cellular prion protein PrPC remains elusive. Several genetic mutations are linked with human prion diseases and driven by the conformational conversion of PrPC to the toxic PrPSc. The main goal of this study is to gain a better insight into the molecular effect of disease-associated V210I mutation on this process by molecular dynamics simulations. This inherited mutation elicited copious structural changes in the β1-α1-β2 subdomain, including an unfolding of a helix α1 and the elongation of the β-sheet. These unusual structural changes likely appeared to detach the β1-α1-β2 subdomain from the α2-α3 core, an early misfolding event necessary for the conformational conversion of PrPC to PrPSc. Ultimately, the unfolded α1 and its prior β1-α1 loop further engaged with unrestrained conformational dynamics and were widely considered as amyloidogenic-inducing traits. Furthermore, the resulting folding intermediate possesses a highly unstable β1-α1-β2 subdomain, thereby enhancing the aggregation of misfolded PrPC through intermolecular interactions between frequently refolding regions. Briefly, these remarkable changes as seen in the mutant β1-α1-β2 subdomain are consistent with previous experimental results and thus provide a molecular basis of PrPC misfolding associated with the conformational conversion of PrPC to PrPSc.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rahul C. Narayanan
- Department of Computational and Data Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
| | - Kanagaraj Sekar
- Department of Computational and Data Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
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15
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Daskalov A, El Mammeri N, Lends A, Shenoy J, Lamon G, Fichou Y, Saad A, Martinez D, Morvan E, Berbon M, Grélard A, Kauffmann B, Ferber M, Bardiaux B, Habenstein B, Saupe SJ, Loquet A. Structures of Pathological and Functional Amyloids and Prions, a Solid-State NMR Perspective. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:670513. [PMID: 34276304 PMCID: PMC8280340 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.670513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Infectious proteins or prions are a remarkable class of pathogens, where pathogenicity and infectious state correspond to conformational transition of a protein fold. The conformational change translates into the formation by the protein of insoluble amyloid aggregates, associated in humans with various neurodegenerative disorders and systemic protein-deposition diseases. The prion principle, however, is not limited to pathogenicity. While pathological amyloids (and prions) emerge from protein misfolding, a class of functional amyloids has been defined, consisting of amyloid-forming domains under natural selection and with diverse biological roles. Although of great importance, prion amyloid structures remain challenging for conventional structural biology techniques. Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) has been preferentially used to investigate these insoluble, morphologically heterogeneous aggregates with poor crystallinity. SSNMR methods have yielded a wealth of knowledge regarding the fundamentals of prion biology and have helped to solve the structures of several prion and prion-like fibrils. Here, we will review pathological and functional amyloid structures and will discuss some of the obtained structural models. We will finish the review with a perspective on integrative approaches combining solid-state NMR, electron paramagnetic resonance and cryo-electron microscopy, which can complement and extend our toolkit to structurally explore various facets of prion biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asen Daskalov
- CNRS, CBMN UMR 5348, IECB, University of Bordeaux, Pessac, France
| | - Nadia El Mammeri
- CNRS, CBMN UMR 5348, IECB, University of Bordeaux, Pessac, France
| | - Alons Lends
- CNRS, CBMN UMR 5348, IECB, University of Bordeaux, Pessac, France
| | | | - Gaelle Lamon
- CNRS, CBMN UMR 5348, IECB, University of Bordeaux, Pessac, France
| | - Yann Fichou
- CNRS, CBMN UMR 5348, IECB, University of Bordeaux, Pessac, France
| | - Ahmad Saad
- CNRS, CBMN UMR 5348, IECB, University of Bordeaux, Pessac, France
| | - Denis Martinez
- CNRS, CBMN UMR 5348, IECB, University of Bordeaux, Pessac, France
| | - Estelle Morvan
- CNRS, INSERM, IECB, UMS 3033, University of Bordeaux, Pessac, France
| | - Melanie Berbon
- CNRS, CBMN UMR 5348, IECB, University of Bordeaux, Pessac, France
| | - Axelle Grélard
- CNRS, CBMN UMR 5348, IECB, University of Bordeaux, Pessac, France
| | - Brice Kauffmann
- CNRS, INSERM, IECB, UMS 3033, University of Bordeaux, Pessac, France
| | | | | | | | - Sven J. Saupe
- CNRS, IBGC UMR 5095, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Antoine Loquet
- CNRS, CBMN UMR 5348, IECB, University of Bordeaux, Pessac, France
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16
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Kamali-Jamil R, Vázquez-Fernández E, Tancowny B, Rathod V, Amidian S, Wang X, Tang X, Fang A, Senatore A, Hornemann S, Dudas S, Aguzzi A, Young HS, Wille H. The ultrastructure of infectious L-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy prions constrains molecular models. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009628. [PMID: 34061899 PMCID: PMC8195424 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a prion disease of cattle that is caused by the misfolding of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) into an infectious conformation (PrPSc). PrPC is a predominantly α-helical membrane protein that misfolds into a β-sheet rich, infectious state, which has a high propensity to self-assemble into amyloid fibrils. Three strains of BSE prions can cause prion disease in cattle, including classical BSE (C-type) and two atypical strains, named L-type and H-type BSE. To date, there is no detailed information available about the structure of any of the infectious BSE prion strains. In this study, we purified L-type BSE prions from transgenic mouse brains and investigated their biochemical and ultrastructural characteristics using electron microscopy, image processing, and immunogold labeling techniques. By using phosphotungstate anions (PTA) to precipitate PrPSc combined with sucrose gradient centrifugation, a high yield of proteinase K-resistant BSE amyloid fibrils was obtained. A morphological examination using electron microscopy, two-dimensional class averages, and three-dimensional reconstructions revealed two structural classes of L-type BSE amyloid fibrils; fibrils that consisted of two protofilaments with a central gap and an average width of 22.5 nm and one-protofilament fibrils that were 10.6 nm wide. The one-protofilament fibrils were found to be more abundant compared to the thicker two-protofilament fibrils. Both fibrillar assemblies were successfully decorated with monoclonal antibodies against N- and C-terminal epitopes of PrP using immunogold-labeling techniques, confirming the presence of polypeptides that span residues 100-110 to 227-237. The fact that the one-protofilament fibrils contain both N- and C-terminal PrP epitopes constrains molecular models for the structure of the infectious conformer in favour of a compact four-rung β-solenoid fold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Razieh Kamali-Jamil
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Ester Vázquez-Fernández
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Brian Tancowny
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Vineet Rathod
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sara Amidian
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Xiongyao Wang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Xinli Tang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Andrew Fang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Assunta Senatore
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Simone Hornemann
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Sandor Dudas
- Canadian BSE Reference Laboratory, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Lethbridge Laboratory, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Howard S. Young
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Holger Wille
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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17
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Leonard C, Phillips C, McCarty J. Insight Into Seeded Tau Fibril Growth From Molecular Dynamics Simulation of the Alzheimer's Disease Protofibril Core. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:624302. [PMID: 33816551 PMCID: PMC8017153 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.624302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggregates of the microtubule associated tau protein are a major constituent of neurofibrillary lesions that define Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology. Increasing experimental evidence suggests that the spread of tau neurofibrillary tangles results from a prion-like seeding mechanism in which small oligomeric tau fibrils template the conversion of native, intrinsically disordered, tau proteins into their pathological form. By using atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we investigate the stability and dissociation thermodynamics of high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of both the AD paired-helical filament (PHF) and straight filament (SF). Non-equilibrium steered MD (SMD) center-of-mass pulling simulations are used to probe the stability of the protofibril structure and identify intermolecular contacts that must be broken before a single tau peptide can dissociate from the protofibril end. Using a combination of exploratory metadynamics and umbrella sampling, we investigate the complete dissociation pathway and compute a free energy profile for the dissociation of a single tau peptide from the fibril end. Different features of the free energy surface between the PHF and SF protofibril result from a different mechanism of tau unfolding. Comparison of wild-type tau PHF and post-translationally modified pSer356 tau shows that phosphorylation at this site changes the dissociation free energy surface of the terminal peptide. These results demonstrate how different protofibril morphologies template the folding of endogenous tau in distinct ways, and how post-translational modification can perturb the folding mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cass Leonard
- Department of Chemistry, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United States
| | - Christian Phillips
- Department of Chemistry, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United States
| | - James McCarty
- Department of Chemistry, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United States
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18
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Louka A, Zacco E, Temussi PA, Tartaglia GG, Pastore A. RNA as the stone guest of protein aggregation. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:11880-11889. [PMID: 33068411 PMCID: PMC7708036 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 09/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of prions as infectious aggregates dates several decades. From its original formulation, the definition of a prion has progressively changed to the point that many aggregation-prone proteins are now considered bona fide prions. RNA molecules, not included in the original 'protein-only hypothesis', are also being recognized as important factors contributing to the 'prion behaviour', that implies the transmissibility of an aberrant fold. In particular, an association has recently emerged between aggregation and the assembly of prion-like proteins in RNA-rich complexes, associated with both physiological and pathological events. Here, we discuss the historical rising of the concept of prion-like domains, their relation to RNA and their role in protein aggregation. As a paradigmatic example, we present the case study of TDP-43, an RNA-binding prion-like protein associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Through this example, we demonstrate how the current definition of prions has incorporated quite different concepts making the meaning of the term richer and more stimulating. An important message that emerges from our analysis is the dual role of RNA in protein aggregation, making RNA, that has been considered for many years a 'silent presence' or the 'stone guest' of protein aggregation, an important component of the process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Louka
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the Maurice Wohl Institute of King's College London, London SE5 9RT, UK
| | - Elsa Zacco
- Center for Human Technologies, Central RNA laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova 16152, Italy
| | - Piero Andrea Temussi
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the Maurice Wohl Institute of King's College London, London SE5 9RT, UK
- University “Federico II’’ Napoli, via Cynthia, Napoli 80100, Italy
| | - Gian Gaetano Tartaglia
- Center for Human Technologies, Central RNA laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova 16152, Italy
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona 08003, Spain and ICREA, 23 Passeig Lluıs Companys, Barcelona 08010, Spain
- Charles Darwin department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Annalisa Pastore
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the Maurice Wohl Institute of King's College London, London SE5 9RT, UK
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19
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Spagnolli G, Rigoli M, Novi Inverardi G, Codeseira YB, Biasini E, Requena JR. Modeling PrP Sc Generation Through Deformed Templating. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:590501. [PMID: 33123520 PMCID: PMC7573312 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.590501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Deformed templating is the process by which self-replicating protein conformations with a given cross-β folding pattern can seed formation of an alternative self-replicating state with different cross-β folding pattern. In particular, uninfectious but propagative PrP amyloid can transform into a bona fide infectious conformer, PrPSc through deformed templating. The process can take many rounds of replication (if taking place in vitro) or even several passages of the evolving PrP conformers through successive brains if in vivo, through experimental transmission. In all cases, deformed templating involves a forced conversion in which there is a mismatch between the template and the substrate and/or the templating environment, typically a recombinant PrP amyloid, adept at converting recombinant PrP under denaturing conditions (e.g., presence of chaotropic agents), encountering a glycosylated, GPI-anchored PrPC substrate under physiological conversion conditions. Deformed templating is characterized by emergence of intermediate conformers that exhibit biochemical characteristics that are intermediate between those of the initial PrP amyloid and the final PrPSc conformers. Here, we took advantage of the recent elucidation of the structure of a PrP amyloid by cryo-EM and the availability of a physically plausible atomistic model of PrPSc that we have recently proposed. Using modeling and Molecular Dynamics (MD) approaches, we built a complete molecular modelization of deformed templating, including an atomistic model of a glycosylated intermediate conformer and a modified model of PrPSc. Among other unanticipated outcomes, our results show that fully glycosylated PrP can be stacked in-register, and how 4-rung β-solenoid (4RβS) PrP architectures can share key structural motifs with parallel-in register intermolecular sheet (PIRIBS) PrP amyloids. Our results shed light on the mechanisms of prion replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Spagnolli
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, Centre for Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy.,Dulbecco Telethon Institute, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Marta Rigoli
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, Centre for Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Giovanni Novi Inverardi
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, Centre for Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Yaiza B Codeseira
- CIMUS Biomedical Research Institute, University of Santiago de Compostela-IDIS, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Emiliano Biasini
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, Centre for Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy.,Dulbecco Telethon Institute, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Jesús R Requena
- CIMUS Biomedical Research Institute, University of Santiago de Compostela-IDIS, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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20
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Spagnolli G, Requena JR, Biasini E. Understanding prion structure and conversion. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2020; 175:19-30. [PMID: 32958233 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2020.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Since their original identification, prions have represented enigmatic agents that defy the classical concept of genetic inheritance. For almost four decades, the high-resolution structure of PrPSc, the infectious and misfolded counterpart of the cellular prion protein (PrPC), has remained elusive, mostly due to technical challenges posed by its high insolubility and aggregation propensity. As a result, such a lack of information has critically hampered the search for an effective therapy against prion diseases. Nevertheless, multiple attempts to get insights into the structure of PrPSc have provided important experimental constraints that, despite being at limited resolution, are paving the way for the application of computer-aided technologies to model the three-dimensional architecture of prions and their templated replication mechanism. Here, we review the most relevant studies carried out so far to elucidate the conformation of infectious PrPSc and offer an overview of the most advanced molecular models to explain prion structure and conversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Spagnolli
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), Trento, TN, Italy; Dulbecco Telethon Institute, University of Trento, Trento, TN, Italy
| | - Jesús R Requena
- CIMUS Biomedical Research Institute & Department of Medical Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela-IDIS, Santiago, Spain
| | - Emiliano Biasini
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), Trento, TN, Italy; Dulbecco Telethon Institute, University of Trento, Trento, TN, Italy.
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21
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Baskakov IV. Role of sialylation in prion disease pathogenesis and prion structure. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2020; 175:31-52. [PMID: 32958238 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2020.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian prion or PrPSc is a proteinaceous infectious agent that consists of a misfolded, self-replicating state of a sialoglycoprotein called the prion protein or PrPC. Sialylation of the prion protein, a terminal modification of N-linked glycans, was discovered more than 30 years ago, yet the role of sialylation in prion pathogenesis is not well understood. This chapter summarizes current knowledge on the role of sialylation of the prion protein in prion diseases. First, we discuss recent data suggesting that sialylation of PrPSc N-linked glycans determines the fate of prion infection in an organism and control prion lymphotropism. Second, emerging evidence pointing out at the role N-glycans in neuroinflammation are discussed. Thirds, this chapter reviews a mechanism postulating that sialylated N-linked glycans are important players in defining strain-specific structures. A new hypothesis according to which individual strain-specific PrPSc structures govern selection of PrPC sialoglycoforms is discussed. Finally, this chapter explain how N-glycan sialylation control the prion replication and strain interference. In summary, comprehensive review of our knowledge on N-linked glycans and their sialylation provided in this chapter helps to answer important questions of prion biology that have been puzzling for years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilia V Baskakov
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, and Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
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22
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Abstract
In sheep, scrapie is a fatal neurologic disease that is caused by a misfolded protein called a prion (designated PrPSc). The normal cellular prion protein (PrPC) is encoded by an endogenous gene, PRNP, that is present in high concentrations within the CNS. Although a broad range of functions has been described for PrPC, its entire range of functions has yet to be fully elucidated. Accumulation of PrPSc results in neurodegeneration. The PRNP gene has several naturally occurring polymorphisms, and there is a strong correlation between scrapie susceptibility and PRNP genotype. The cornerstone of scrapie eradication programs is the selection of scrapie-resistant genotypes to eliminate classical scrapie. Transmission of classical scrapie in sheep occurs during the prenatal and periparturient periods when lambs are highly susceptible. Initially, the scrapie agent is disseminated throughout the lymphoid system and into the CNS. Shedding of the scrapie agent occurs before the onset of clinical signs. In contrast to classical scrapie, atypical scrapie is believed to be a spontaneous disease that occurs in isolated instances in older animals within a flock. The agent that causes atypical scrapie is not considered to be naturally transmissible. Transmission of the scrapie agent to species other than sheep, including deer, has been experimentally demonstrated as has the transmission of nonscrapie prion agents to sheep. The purpose of this review is to outline the current methods for diagnosing scrapie in sheep and the techniques used for studying the pathogenesis and host range of the scrapie agent. Also discussed is the US scrapie eradication program including recent updates.
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23
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Cryo-EM structure of an amyloid fibril formed by full-length human prion protein. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2020; 27:598-602. [PMID: 32514176 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-020-0441-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases are caused by the misfolding of prion protein (PrP). Misfolded PrP forms protease-resistant aggregates in vivo (PrPSc) that are able to template the conversion of the native form of the protein (PrPC), a property shared by in vitro-produced PrP fibrils. Here we produced amyloid fibrils in vitro from recombinant, full-length human PrPC (residues 23-231) and determined their structure using cryo-EM, building a model for the fibril core comprising residues 170-229. The PrP fibril consists of two protofibrils intertwined in a left-handed helix. Lys194 and Glu196 from opposing subunits form salt bridges, creating a hydrophilic cavity at the interface of the two protofibrils. By comparison with the structure of PrPC, we propose that two α-helices in the C-terminal domain of PrPC are converted into β-strands stabilized by a disulfide bond in the PrP fibril. Our data suggest that different PrP mutations may play distinct roles in modulating the conformational conversion.
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24
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Di Natale C, La Manna S, Avitabile C, Florio D, Morelli G, Netti PA, Marasco D. Engineered β-hairpin scaffolds from human prion protein regions: Structural and functional investigations of aggregates. Bioorg Chem 2020; 96:103594. [PMID: 31991323 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.103594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The investigation of conformational features of regions of amyloidogenic proteins are of great interest to deepen the structural changes and consequent self-aggregation mechanisms at the basis of many neurodegenerative diseases. Here we explore the effect of β-hairpin inducing motifs on regions of prion protein covering strands S1 and S2. In detail, we unveiled the structural and functional features of two model chimeric peptides in which natural sequences are covalently linked together by two dipeptides (l-Pro-Gly and d-Pro-Gly) that are known to differently enhance β-hairpin conformations but both containing N- and the C-terminal aromatic cap motifs to further improve interactions between natural strands. Spectroscopic investigations at solution state indicate that primary assemblies of the monomers of both constructs follow different aggregativemechanisms during the self-assembly: these distinctions, evidenced by CD and ThT emission spectroscopies, reflect into great morphological differences of nanostructures and suggest that rigid β-hairpin conformations greatly limit amyloid-like fibrillogenesis. Overall data confirm the important role exerted by the β-structure of regions S1 and S2 during the aggregation process and lead to speculate to its persistence even in unfolding conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Concetta Di Natale
- Department of Pharmacy, CIRPEB: Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerca sui Peptidi Bioattivi- University of Naples "Federico II", Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Naples, Italy; Center for Advanced Biomaterials for Healthcare@CRIB, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Largo Barsanti e Matteucci 53, 80125 Naples, Italy
| | - Sara La Manna
- Department of Pharmacy, CIRPEB: Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerca sui Peptidi Bioattivi- University of Naples "Federico II", Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Naples, Italy
| | - Concetta Avitabile
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), National Research Council, Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Naples, Italy
| | - Daniele Florio
- Department of Pharmacy, CIRPEB: Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerca sui Peptidi Bioattivi- University of Naples "Federico II", Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Naples, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Morelli
- Department of Pharmacy, CIRPEB: Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerca sui Peptidi Bioattivi- University of Naples "Federico II", Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Naples, Italy
| | - Paolo Antonio Netti
- Center for Advanced Biomaterials for Healthcare@CRIB, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Largo Barsanti e Matteucci 53, 80125 Naples, Italy
| | - Daniela Marasco
- Department of Pharmacy, CIRPEB: Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerca sui Peptidi Bioattivi- University of Naples "Federico II", Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Naples, Italy; Task force di Ateneo"METODOLOGIE ANALITICHE PER LA SALVAGUARDIA DEI BENI CULTURALI" MASBC, University of Naples "Federico II", Italy.
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25
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Theoretical and computational advances in protein misfolding. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2020; 118:1-31. [PMID: 31928722 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2019.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
Misfolded proteins escape the cellular quality control mechanism and fail to fold properly or remain correctly folded leading to a loss in their functional specificity. Thus misfolding of proteins cause a large number of very different diseases ranging from errors in metabolism to various types of complex neurodegenerative diseases. A theoretical and computational perspective of protein misfolding is presented with a special emphasis on its salient features, mechanism and consequences. These insights quantitatively analyze different determinants of misfolding, that may be applied to design disease specific molecular targets.
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26
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Abstract
Amyloids and their infectious subset, prions, represent fibrillary aggregates with regular structure. They are formed by proteins that are soluble in their normal state. In amyloid form, all or part of the polypeptide sequence of the protein is resistant to treatment with proteinase K (PK). Amyloids can have structural variants, which can be distinguished by the patterns of their digestion by PK. In this review, we describe and compare studies of the resistant cores of various amyloids from different organisms. These data provide insight into the fine structure of amyloids and their variants as well as raise interesting questions, such as those concerning the differences between amyloids obtained ex vivo and in vitro, as well as the manner in which folding of one region of the amyloid can affect other regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vitaly V Kushnirov
- Research Center of Biotechnology of Russian Academy of Sciences, A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander A Dergalev
- Research Center of Biotechnology of Russian Academy of Sciences, A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander I Alexandrov
- Research Center of Biotechnology of Russian Academy of Sciences, A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Moscow, Russia
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27
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Structural insight into conformational change in prion protein by breakage of electrostatic network around H187 due to its protonation. Sci Rep 2019; 9:19305. [PMID: 31848406 PMCID: PMC6917724 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55808-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
A conformational change from normal prion protein(PrPC) to abnormal prion protein(PrPSC) induces fatal neurodegenerative diseases. Acidic pH is well-known factors involved in the conformational change. Because the protonation of H187 is strongly linked to the change in PrP stability, we examined the charged residues R156, E196, and D202 around H187. Interestingly, there have been reports on pathological mutants, such as H187R, E196A, and D202N. In this study, we focused on how an acidic pH and pathological mutants disrupt this electrostatic network and how this broken network destabilizes PrP structure. To do so, we performed a temperature-based replica-exchange molecular dynamics (T-REMD) simulation using a cumulative 252 μs simulation time. We measured the distance between amino acids comprising four salt bridges (R156–E196/D202 and H187–E196/D202). Our results showed that the spatial configuration of the electrostatic network was significantly altered by an acidic pH and mutations. The structural alteration in the electrostatic network increased the RMSF value around the first helix (H1). Thus, the structural stability of H1, which is anchored to the H2–H3 bundle, was decreased. It induces separation of R156 from the electrostatic network. Analysis of the anchoring energy also shows that two salt-bridges (R156-E196/D202) are critical for PrP stability.
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28
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Hackl S, Becker CFW. Prion protein-Semisynthetic prion protein (PrP) variants with posttranslational modifications. J Pept Sci 2019; 25:e3216. [PMID: 31713950 PMCID: PMC6899880 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Deciphering the pathophysiologic events in prion diseases is challenging, and the role of posttranslational modifications (PTMs) such as glypidation and glycosylation remains elusive due to the lack of homogeneous protein preparations. So far, experimental studies have been limited in directly analyzing the earliest events of the conformational change of cellular prion protein (PrPC ) into scrapie prion protein (PrPSc ) that further propagates PrPC misfolding and aggregation at the cellular membrane, the initial site of prion infection, and PrP misfolding, by a lack of suitably modified PrP variants. PTMs of PrP, especially attachment of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor, have been shown to be crucially involved in the PrPSc formation. To this end, semisynthesis offers a unique possibility to understand PrP behavior invitro and invivo as it provides access to defined site-selectively modified PrP variants. This approach relies on the production and chemoselective linkage of peptide segments, amenable to chemical modifications, with recombinantly produced protein segments. In this article, advances in understanding PrP conversion using semisynthesis as a tool to obtain homogeneous posttranslationally modified PrP will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Hackl
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological Chemistry, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian F W Becker
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological Chemistry, Vienna, Austria
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29
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Baral PK, Yin J, Aguzzi A, James MNG. Transition of the prion protein from a structured cellular form (PrP C ) to the infectious scrapie agent (PrP Sc ). Protein Sci 2019; 28:2055-2063. [PMID: 31583788 DOI: 10.1002/pro.3735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Revised: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases in mammals are caused by a conformational transition of the cellular prion protein from its native conformation (PrPC ) to a pathological isoform called "prion protein scrapie" (PrPSc ). A molecular level of understanding of this conformational transition will be helpful in unveiling the disease etiology. Experimental structural biological techniques (NMR and X-ray crystallography) have been used to unravel the atomic level structural information for the prion and its binding partners. More than one hundred three-dimensional structures of the mammalian prions have been deposited in the protein databank. Structural studies on the prion protein and its structural transitions will deepen our understanding of the molecular basis of prion pathogenesis and will provide valuable guidance for future structure-based drug discovery endeavors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pravas K Baral
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jiang Yin
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael N G James
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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30
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Spagnolli G, Rigoli M, Orioli S, Sevillano AM, Faccioli P, Wille H, Biasini E, Requena JR. Full atomistic model of prion structure and conversion. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1007864. [PMID: 31295325 PMCID: PMC6622554 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Prions are unusual protein assemblies that propagate their conformationally-encoded information in absence of nucleic acids. The first prion identified, the scrapie isoform (PrPSc) of the cellular prion protein (PrPC), caused epidemic and epizootic episodes [1]. Most aggregates of other misfolding-prone proteins are amyloids, often arranged in a Parallel-In-Register-β-Sheet (PIRIBS) [2] or β-solenoid conformations [3]. Similar folding models have also been proposed for PrPSc, although none of these have been confirmed experimentally. Recent cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and X-ray fiber-diffraction studies provided evidence that PrPSc is structured as a 4-rung β-solenoid (4RβS) [4, 5]. Here, we combined different experimental data and computational techniques to build the first physically-plausible, atomic resolution model of mouse PrPSc, based on the 4RβS architecture. The stability of this new PrPSc model, as assessed by Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations, was found to be comparable to that of the prion forming domain of Het-s, a naturally-occurring β-solenoid. Importantly, the 4RβS arrangement allowed the first simulation of the sequence of events underlying PrPC conversion into PrPSc. This study provides the most updated, experimentally-driven and physically-coherent model of PrPSc, together with an unprecedented reconstruction of the mechanism underlying the self-catalytic propagation of prions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Spagnolli
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO)–University of Trento, Povo TN, ITALY
- * E-mail: (GS); (EB); (JRR)
| | - Marta Rigoli
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO)–University of Trento, Povo TN, ITALY
- Department of Physics, Povo, Trento TN, ITALY
| | - Simone Orioli
- Department of Physics, Povo, Trento TN, ITALY
- INFN-TIFPA, Povo (Trento), ITALY
| | - Alejandro M. Sevillano
- Department of Pathology–University of California—San Diego, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Pietro Faccioli
- Department of Physics, Povo, Trento TN, ITALY
- INFN-TIFPA, Povo (Trento), ITALY
| | - Holger Wille
- Department of Biochemistry and Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases–University of Alberta, Edmonton (AB), CANADA
| | - Emiliano Biasini
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO)–University of Trento, Povo TN, ITALY
- * E-mail: (GS); (EB); (JRR)
| | - Jesús R. Requena
- CIMUS Biomedical Research Institute & Department of Medical Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela-IDIS, Santiago, SPAIN
- * E-mail: (GS); (EB); (JRR)
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31
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Sengupta I, Udgaonkar J. Monitoring site-specific conformational changes in real-time reveals a misfolding mechanism of the prion protein. eLife 2019; 8:44698. [PMID: 31232689 PMCID: PMC6590988 DOI: 10.7554/elife.44698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
During pathological aggregation, proteins undergo remarkable conformational re-arrangements to anomalously assemble into a heterogeneous collection of misfolded multimers, ranging from soluble oligomers to insoluble amyloid fibrils. Inspired by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) measurements of protein folding, an experimental strategy to study site-specific misfolding kinetics during aggregation, by effectively suppressing contributions from inter-molecular FRET, is described. Specifically, the kinetics of conformational changes across different secondary and tertiary structural segments of the mouse prion protein (moPrP) were monitored independently, after the monomeric units transformed into large oligomers OL, which subsequently disaggregated reversibly into small oligomers OS at pH 4. The sequence segments spanning helices α2 and α3 underwent a compaction during the formation of OL and elongation into β-sheets during the formation of OS. The β1-α1-β2 and α2-α3 subdomains were separated, and the helix α1 was unfolded to varying extents in both OL and OS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishita Sengupta
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru, India
| | - Jayant Udgaonkar
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru, India
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32
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Heterogeneity and Architecture of Pathological Prion Protein Assemblies: Time to Revisit the Molecular Basis of the Prion Replication Process? Viruses 2019; 11:v11050429. [PMID: 31083283 PMCID: PMC6563208 DOI: 10.3390/v11050429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Revised: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Prions are proteinaceous infectious agents responsible for a range of neurodegenerative diseases in animals and humans. Prion particles are assemblies formed from a misfolded, β-sheet rich, aggregation-prone isoform (PrPSc) of the host-encoded cellular prion protein (PrPC). Prions replicate by recruiting and converting PrPC into PrPSc, by an autocatalytic process. PrPSc is a pleiomorphic protein as different conformations can dictate different disease phenotypes in the same host species. This is the basis of the strain phenomenon in prion diseases. Recent experimental evidence suggests further structural heterogeneity in PrPSc assemblies within specific prion populations and strains. Still, this diversity is rather seen as a size continuum of assemblies with the same core structure, while analysis of the available experimental data points to the existence of structurally distinct arrangements. The atomic structure of PrPSc has not been elucidated so far, making the prion replication process difficult to understand. All currently available models suggest that PrPSc assemblies exhibit a PrPSc subunit as core constituent, which was recently identified. This review summarizes our current knowledge on prion assembly heterogeneity down to the subunit level and will discuss its importance with regard to the current molecular principles of the prion replication process.
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33
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Sang JC, Lee JE, Dear AJ, De S, Meisl G, Thackray AM, Bujdoso R, Knowles TPJ, Klenerman D. Direct observation of prion protein oligomer formation reveals an aggregation mechanism with multiple conformationally distinct species. Chem Sci 2019; 10:4588-4597. [PMID: 31123569 PMCID: PMC6492631 DOI: 10.1039/c8sc05627g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The aggregation of the prion protein (PrP) plays a key role in the development of prion diseases. In the past decade, a similar process has been associated with other proteins, such as Aβ, tau, and α-synuclein, which participate in other neurodegenerative diseases. It is increasingly recognized that the small oligomeric species of aggregates can play an important role in the development of prion diseases. However, determining the nature of the oligomers formed during the aggregation process has been experimentally difficult due to the lack of suitable methods capable of the detection and characterization of the low level of oligomers that may form. To address this problem, we have utilized single-aggregate methods to study the early events associated with aggregation of recombinant murine PrP in vitro to approach the bona fide process in vivo. PrP aggregation resulted in the formation of thioflavin T (ThT)-inactive and ThT-active species of oligomers. The ThT-active oligomers undergo conversion from a Proteinase K (PK)-sensitive to PK-resistant conformer, from which mature fibrils can eventually emerge. Overall, our results show that single-aggregate methods can provide structural and mechanistic insights into PrP aggregation, identify the potential species that mediates cytotoxicity, and reveal that a range of distinct oligomeric species with different properties is formed during prion protein aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason C Sang
- Department of Chemistry , University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road , Cambridge , CB2 1EW , UK .
| | - Ji-Eun Lee
- Department of Chemistry , University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road , Cambridge , CB2 1EW , UK .
| | - Alexander J Dear
- Department of Chemistry , University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road , Cambridge , CB2 1EW , UK .
| | - Suman De
- Department of Chemistry , University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road , Cambridge , CB2 1EW , UK .
| | - Georg Meisl
- Department of Chemistry , University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road , Cambridge , CB2 1EW , UK .
| | - Alana M Thackray
- Department of Veterinary Medicine , University of Cambridge , Madingley Road , Cambridge , CB3 0ES , UK
| | - Raymond Bujdoso
- Department of Veterinary Medicine , University of Cambridge , Madingley Road , Cambridge , CB3 0ES , UK
| | - Tuomas P J Knowles
- Department of Chemistry , University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road , Cambridge , CB2 1EW , UK .
| | - David Klenerman
- Department of Chemistry , University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road , Cambridge , CB2 1EW , UK .
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34
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Baskakov IV, Caughey B, Requena JR, Sevillano AM, Surewicz WK, Wille H. The prion 2018 round tables (I): the structure of PrP Sc. Prion 2019; 13:46-52. [PMID: 30646817 PMCID: PMC6422368 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2019.1569450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the structure of PrPSc is without doubt a sine qua non to understand not only PrPSc propagation, but also critical features of that process such as the strain phenomenon and transmission barriers. While elucidation of the PrPSc structure has been full of difficulties, we now have a large amount of structural information that allows us to begin to understand it. This commentary article summarizes a round table that took place within the Prion 2018 meeting held in Santiago de Compostela to discuss the state of the art in this matter. Two alternative models of PrPSc exist: the PIRIBS and the 4-rung β-solenoid models. Both of them have relevant features. The 4-rung β-solenoid model agrees with experimental constraints of brain derived PrPSc obtained from cryo-EM and X-ray fiber diffraction studies. Furthermore, it allows facile accommodation of the bulky glycans that decorate brain-derived PrPSc. On the other hand, the infectious PrP23-144 amyloid exhibits a PIRIBS architecture. Perhaps, both types of structure co-exist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilia V Baskakov
- a Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology and Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology , University of Maryland School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA
| | - Byron Caughey
- b Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories , National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health , Hamilton , MT , USA
| | - Jesús R Requena
- c CIMUS Biomedical Research Institute and Department of Medical Sciences , University of Santiago de Compostela-IDIS, Santiago de Compostela , Spain
| | - Alejandro M Sevillano
- d Departments of Pathology and Medicine , University of California San Diego , La Jolla , CA , USA
| | - Witold K Surewicz
- e Departments of Pathology, and of Physiology and Biophysics , Case Western Reserve University , Cleveland , OH , USA
| | - Holger Wille
- f Department of Biochemistry and Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases , University of Alberta , Edmonton , AB , Canada
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35
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Paxman JJ, Lo AW, Sullivan MJ, Panjikar S, Kuiper M, Whitten AE, Wang G, Luan CH, Moriel DG, Tan L, Peters KM, Phan MD, Gee CL, Ulett GC, Schembri MA, Heras B. Unique structural features of a bacterial autotransporter adhesin suggest mechanisms for interaction with host macromolecules. Nat Commun 2019; 10:1967. [PMID: 31036849 PMCID: PMC6488583 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09814-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Autotransporters are the largest family of outer membrane and secreted proteins in Gram-negative bacteria. Most autotransporters are localised to the bacterial surface where they promote colonisation of host epithelial surfaces. Here we present the crystal structure of UpaB, an autotransporter that is known to contribute to uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) colonisation of the urinary tract. We provide evidence that UpaB can interact with glycosaminoglycans and host fibronectin. Unique modifications to its core β-helical structure create a groove on one side of the protein for interaction with glycosaminoglycans, while the opposite face can bind fibronectin. Our findings reveal far greater diversity in the autotransporter β-helix than previously thought, and suggest that this domain can interact with host macromolecules. The relevance of these interactions during infection remains unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason J Paxman
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, 3086, VIC, Australia
| | - Alvin W Lo
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, and Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, QLD, Australia
| | - Matthew J Sullivan
- School of Medical Science, and Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, 4222, QLD, Australia
| | - Santosh Panjikar
- Macromolecular Crystallography, Australian Synchrotron, Clayton, 3168, VIC, Australia
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Monash University, Melbourne, 3800, VIC, Australia
| | - Michael Kuiper
- Molecular & Materials Modelling group Data61, CSIRO, Docklands, Melbourne, 8012, VIC, Australia
| | - Andrew E Whitten
- Australian Centre for Neutron Scattering, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, 2234, NSW, Australia
| | - Geqing Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, 3086, VIC, Australia
| | - Chi-Hao Luan
- High Throughput Analysis Laboratory and Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, 60208, IL, USA
| | - Danilo G Moriel
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, and Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, QLD, Australia
| | - Lendl Tan
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, and Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, QLD, Australia
| | - Kate M Peters
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, and Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, QLD, Australia
| | - Minh-Duy Phan
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, and Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, QLD, Australia
| | - Christine L Gee
- Macromolecular Crystallography, Australian Synchrotron, Clayton, 3168, VIC, Australia
| | - Glen C Ulett
- School of Medical Science, and Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, 4222, QLD, Australia
| | - Mark A Schembri
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, and Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, QLD, Australia.
| | - Begoña Heras
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, 3086, VIC, Australia.
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36
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Yamaguchi K, Kamatari YO, Ono F, Shibata H, Fuse T, Elhelaly AE, Fukuoka M, Kimura T, Hosokawa-Muto J, Ishikawa T, Tobiume M, Takeuchi Y, Matsuyama Y, Ishibashi D, Nishida N, Kuwata K. A designer molecular chaperone against transmissible spongiform encephalopathy slows disease progression in mice and macaques. Nat Biomed Eng 2019; 3:206-219. [PMID: 30948810 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-019-0349-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are fatal neurodegenerative diseases that lack therapeutic solutions. Here, we show that the molecular chaperone (N,N'-([cyclohexylmethylene]di-4,1-phenylene)bis(2-[1-pyrrolidinyl]acetamide)), designed via docking simulations, molecular dynamics simulations and quantum chemical calculations, slows down the progress of TSEs. In vitro, the designer molecular chaperone stabilizes the normal cellular prion protein, eradicates prions in infected cells, prevents the formation of drug-resistant strains and directly inhibits the interaction between prions and abnormal aggregates, as shown via real-time quaking-induced conversion and in vitro conversion NMR. Weekly intraperitoneal injection of the chaperone in prion-infected mice prolonged their survival, and weekly intravenous administration of the compound in macaques infected with bovine TSE slowed down the development of neurological and psychological symptoms and reduced the concentration of disease-associated biomarkers in the animals' cerebrospinal fluid. The de novo rational design of chaperone compounds could lead to therapeutics that can bind to different prion protein strains to ameliorate the pathology of TSEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiichi Yamaguchi
- Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan.,United Graduate School of Drug Discovery and Medical Information Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan.,Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yuji O Kamatari
- Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan.,Life Science Research Center, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan
| | - Fumiko Ono
- Faculty of Animal Crisis Management, Chiba Institute of Science, Choshi, Japan.,Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Okayama University of Science, Imabari, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Shibata
- Tsukuba Primate Research Center, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Tsukuba, Japan.,Center for Development of Advanced Medical Technology, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Japan
| | - Takayuki Fuse
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Abdelazim Elsayed Elhelaly
- Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan.,United Graduate School of Drug Discovery and Medical Information Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan.,Department of Food Hygiene and Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismalia, Egypt
| | - Mayuko Fukuoka
- Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan.,United Graduate School of Drug Discovery and Medical Information Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Kimura
- Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan.,Department of Chemistry, Faulty of Science Division II, Tokyo University of Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Junji Hosokawa-Muto
- Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan.,First Department of Forsenic Science, National Research Institute of Police Science, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Takeshi Ishikawa
- Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan.,Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan.,Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Minoru Tobiume
- Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Disease, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Takeuchi
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yutaka Matsuyama
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daisuke Ishibashi
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Noriyuki Nishida
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Kazuo Kuwata
- Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan. .,United Graduate School of Drug Discovery and Medical Information Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan. .,Department of Gene and Development, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan.
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37
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Shen HCH, Chen YH, Lin YS, Chu BKY, Liang CS, Yang CC, Chen RPY. Segments in the Amyloid Core that Distinguish Hamster from Mouse Prion Fibrils. Neurochem Res 2019; 44:1399-1409. [PMID: 30603982 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-018-02709-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 12/23/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases are transmissible fatal neurodegenerative disorders affecting humans and other mammals. The disease transmission can occur between different species but is limited by the sequence homology between host and inoculum. The crucial molecular event in the progression of this disease is prion formation, starting from the conformational conversion of the normal, membrane-anchored prion protein (PrPC) into the misfolded, β-sheet-rich and aggregation-prone isoform (PrPSc), which then self-associates into the infectious amyloid form called prion. Amyloid is the aggregate formed from one-dimensional protein association. As amyloid formation is a key hallmark in prion pathogenesis, studying which segments in prion protein are involved in the amyloid formation can provide molecular details in the cross-species transmission barrier of prion diseases. However, due to the difficulties of studying protein aggregates, very limited knowledge about prion structure or prion formation was disclosed by now. In this study, cross-seeding assay was used to identify the segments involved in the amyloid fibril formation of full-length hamster prion protein, SHaPrP(23-231). Our results showed that the residues in the segments 108-127, 172-194 (helix 2 in PrPC) and 200-227 (helix 3 in PrPC) are in the amyloid core of hamster prion fibrils. The segment 127-143, but not 107-126 (which corresponds to hamster sequence 108-127), was previously reported to be involved in the amyloid core of full-length mouse prion fibrils. Our results indicate that hamster prion protein and mouse prion protein use different segments to form the amyloid core in amyloidogenesis. The sequence-dependent core formation can be used to explain the seeding barrier between mouse and hamster.
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Affiliation(s)
- Howard C-H Shen
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, No. 128, Sec. 2, Academia Rd, Nankang, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan.,Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Yung-Han Chen
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, No. 128, Sec. 2, Academia Rd, Nankang, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Sheng Lin
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, No. 128, Sec. 2, Academia Rd, Nankang, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan.,Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Brett K-Y Chu
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, No. 128, Sec. 2, Academia Rd, Nankang, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan.,Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Shin Liang
- Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Chih Yang
- Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Rita P-Y Chen
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, No. 128, Sec. 2, Academia Rd, Nankang, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan. .,Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan.
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38
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Jani V, Sonavane U, Joshi R. Detecting early stage structural changes in wild type, pathogenic and non-pathogenic prion variants using Markov state model. RSC Adv 2019; 9:14567-14579. [PMID: 35519320 PMCID: PMC9064127 DOI: 10.1039/c9ra01507h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The conversion of prion protein from normal to scrapie followed by the aggregation and deposition of this scrapie form leads to various neurodegenerative diseases. A few studies carried out by researchers suggest that E219K prion mutant (glutamate to lysine mutation at residue position 219) is more stable than wild type protein. However a similar point mutation E200K (glutamate to lysine mutation at residue position 200) is pathogenic. In this study we have carried out detailed atomistic simulation of the wild type, pathogenic mutant E200K and E219K mutant which provides more stability. The aim of the study was to detect the early structural changes present in all the three variants which might be responsible for the stability or for their conversion from PrPC to PrPSc. MSM based analyses have been carried out to find out the differences between WT, E200K and E219K systems. Markov state model (MSM) analysis was able to predict the intermediate states which helped to understand the effect of same mutation at two different locations. The MSM analysis was able to show that the extra stability of E219K mutant may be a result of the increase in number of native contacts, strong salt bridges and less random motions. While pathogenicity of E200K mutant can be attributed to loss of some crucial salt-bridge interactions, increased random motions between helix 2 and helix 3. Markov state model to find out the differences between WT, E200K and E219K systems.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinod Jani
- High Performance Computing-Medical & Bioinformatics Applications Group
- Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)
- Savitribai Phule Pune University Campus
- Pune 411007
- India
| | - Uddhavesh Sonavane
- High Performance Computing-Medical & Bioinformatics Applications Group
- Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)
- Savitribai Phule Pune University Campus
- Pune 411007
- India
| | - Rajendra Joshi
- High Performance Computing-Medical & Bioinformatics Applications Group
- Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)
- Savitribai Phule Pune University Campus
- Pune 411007
- India
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39
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Structural Determinants of the Prion Protein N-Terminus and Its Adducts with Copper Ions. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 20:ijms20010018. [PMID: 30577569 PMCID: PMC6337743 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20010018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The N-terminus of the prion protein is a large intrinsically disordered region encompassing approximately 125 amino acids. In this paper, we review its structural and functional properties, with a particular emphasis on its binding to copper ions. The latter is exploited by the region’s conformational flexibility to yield a variety of biological functions. Disease-linked mutations and proteolytic processing of the protein can impact its copper-binding properties, with important structural and functional implications, both in health and disease progression.
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40
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Baskakov IV, Katorcha E, Makarava N. Prion Strain-Specific Structure and Pathology: A View from the Perspective of Glycobiology. Viruses 2018; 10:v10120723. [PMID: 30567302 PMCID: PMC6315442 DOI: 10.3390/v10120723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Revised: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases display multiple disease phenotypes characterized by diverse clinical symptoms, different brain regions affected by the disease, distinct cell tropism and diverse PrPSc deposition patterns. The diversity of disease phenotypes within the same host is attributed to the ability of PrPC to acquire multiple, alternative, conformationally distinct, self-replicating PrPSc states referred to as prion strains or subtypes. Structural diversity of PrPSc strains has been well documented, yet the question of how different PrPSc structures elicit multiple disease phenotypes remains poorly understood. The current article reviews emerging evidence suggesting that carbohydrates in the form of sialylated N-linked glycans, which are a constitutive part of PrPSc, are important players in defining strain-specific structures and disease phenotypes. This article introduces a new hypothesis, according to which individual strain-specific PrPSc structures govern selection of PrPC sialoglycoforms that form strain-specific patterns of carbohydrate epitopes on PrPSc surface and contribute to defining the disease phenotype and outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilia V Baskakov
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MA 21201, USA.
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MA 21201, USA.
| | - Elizaveta Katorcha
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MA 21201, USA.
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MA 21201, USA.
| | - Natallia Makarava
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MA 21201, USA.
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MA 21201, USA.
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41
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Teruya K, Nishizawa K, Oguma A, Sakasegawa Y, Kitamoto T, Doh-Ura K. Intermolecular crosslinking of abnormal prion protein is efficiently induced by a primuline-sensitized photoreaction. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2018; 1863:384-394. [PMID: 30447252 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2018.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 10/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In prion diseases, infectious pathogenic particles that are composed of abnormal prion proteins (PrPSc) accumulate in the brain. PrPSc is biochemically characterized by its protease-resistance core (PrPres), but its structural features have not been fully elucidated. Here, we report that primuline, a fluorescent dye with photosensitization activity, dramatically enhances UV-irradiation-induced SDS-resistant PrPSc/res oligomer formation that can be detected by immunoblot analysis of prion-infected materials. This oligomer formation occurs specifically with PrPSc/res but not with normal prion protein, and it was demonstrated using purified PrPSc/res as well as unpurified materials. The oligomer formation proceeded in both primuline-dose- and UV irradiation time-dependent manners. Treatment with urea or formic acid did not break oligomers into monomers. Neither did the presence of aromatic amino acids modify oligomer formation. Analysis with a panel of anti-prion protein antibodies showed that the antibodies against the N-terminal region of PrPres were less reactive in the dimer than the monomer. These findings suggest that the primuline-sensitized photoreaction enhances intermolecular crosslinking of PrPSc/res molecules at a hydrophobic area of the N-terminal region of PrPres. In the screening of other compounds, photoreactive compounds such as luciferin exhibited a similar but lower activity with respect to oligomer formation than primuline. The enhanced photoreaction with these compounds will be useful for evaluating the structural features of PrPSc/res, especially the interactions between PrPSc/res molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenta Teruya
- Department of Neurochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Keiko Nishizawa
- Department of Neurochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Ayumi Oguma
- Department of Neurochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Yuji Sakasegawa
- Department of Neurochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Tetsuyuki Kitamoto
- Department of Neurological Science, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Katsumi Doh-Ura
- Department of Neurochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
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42
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Li Q, Wang F, Xiao X, Kim C, Bohon J, Kiselar J, Safar JG, Ma J, Surewicz WK. Structural attributes of mammalian prion infectivity: Insights from studies with synthetic prions. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:18494-18503. [PMID: 30275016 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.005622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Revised: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are neurodegenerative disorders that affect many mammalian species. Mammalian prion proteins (PrPs) can misfold into many different aggregates. However, only a small subpopulation of these structures is infectious. One of the major unresolved questions in prion research is identifying which specific structural features of these misfolded protein aggregates are important for prion infectivity in vivo Previously, two types of proteinase K-resistant, self-propagating aggregates were generated from the recombinant mouse prion protein in the presence of identical cofactors. Although these two aggregates appear biochemically very similar, they have dramatically different biological properties, with one of them being highly infectious and the other one lacking any infectivity. Here, we used several MS-based structural methods, including hydrogen-deuterium exchange and hydroxyl radical footprinting, to gain insight into the nature of structural differences between these two PrP aggregate types. Our experiments revealed a number of specific differences in the structure of infectious and noninfectious aggregates, both at the level of the polypeptide backbone and quaternary packing arrangement. In particular, we observed that a high degree of order and stability of β-sheet structure within the entire region between residues ∼89 and 227 is a primary attribute of infectious PrP aggregates examined in this study. By contrast, noninfectious PrP aggregates are characterized by markedly less ordered structure up to residue ∼167. The structural constraints reported here should facilitate development of experimentally based high-resolution structural models of infectiosus mammalian prions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuye Li
- From the Departments of Physiology and Biophysics and
| | - Fei Wang
- the Center for Neurodegenerative Sciences, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503
| | - Xiangzhu Xiao
- From the Departments of Physiology and Biophysics and
| | | | - Jen Bohon
- Centers for Synchrotron Biosciences and.,Proteomics and Bioinformatics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106 and
| | - Janna Kiselar
- Proteomics and Bioinformatics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106 and
| | | | - Jiyan Ma
- the Center for Neurodegenerative Sciences, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503
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43
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Abstract
The cellular prion protein, PrPC, is a small, cell surface glycoprotein with a function that is currently somewhat ill defined. It is also the key molecule involved in the family of neurodegenerative disorders called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, which are also known as prion diseases. The misfolding of PrPC to a conformationally altered isoform, designated PrPTSE, is the main molecular process involved in pathogenesis and appears to precede many other pathologic and clinical manifestations of disease, including neuronal loss, astrogliosis, and cognitive loss. PrPTSE is also believed to be the major component of the infectious "prion," the agent responsible for disease transmission, and preparations of this protein can cause prion disease when inoculated into a naïve host. Thus, understanding the biochemical and biophysical properties of both PrPC and PrPTSE, and ultimately the mechanisms of their interconversion, is critical if we are to understand prion disease biology. Although entire books could be devoted to research pertaining to the protein, herein we briefly review the state of knowledge of prion biochemistry, including consideration of prion protein structure, function, misfolding, and dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew C Gill
- School of Chemistry, Joseph Banks Laboratories, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, United Kingdom; Division of Neurobiology, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
| | - Andrew R Castle
- Division of Neurobiology, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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44
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Sengupta I, Udgaonkar JB. Structural mechanisms of oligomer and amyloid fibril formation by the prion protein. Chem Commun (Camb) 2018; 54:6230-6242. [PMID: 29789820 DOI: 10.1039/c8cc03053g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Misfolding and aggregation of the prion protein is responsible for multiple neurodegenerative diseases. Works from several laboratories on folding of both the WT and multiple pathogenic mutant variants of the prion protein have identified several structurally dissimilar intermediates, which might be potential precursors to misfolding and aggregation. The misfolded aggregates themselves are morphologically distinct, critically dependent on the solution conditions under which they are prepared, but always β-sheet rich. Despite the lack of an atomic resolution structure of the infectious pathogenic agent in prion diseases, several low resolution models have identified the β-sheet rich core of the aggregates formed in vitro, to lie in the α2-α3 subdomain of the prion protein, albeit with local stabilities that vary with the type of aggregate. This feature article describes recent advances in the investigation of in vitro prion protein aggregation using multiple spectroscopic probes, with particular focus on (1) identifying aggregation-prone conformations of the monomeric protein, (2) conditions which trigger misfolding and oligomerization, (3) the mechanism of misfolding and aggregation, and (4) the structure of the misfolded intermediates and final aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishita Sengupta
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru 560065, India
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45
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Inflammatory response of microglia to prions is controlled by sialylation of PrP Sc. Sci Rep 2018; 8:11326. [PMID: 30054538 PMCID: PMC6063910 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-29720-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroinflammation is recognized as one of the obligatory pathogenic features of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or prion diseases. In prion diseases, space and time correlations between deposition of disease-associated, pathogenic form of the prion protein or PrPSc and microglial-mediated neuroinflammation has been established. Yet, it remains unclear whether activation of microglia is triggered directly by a contact with PrPSc, and what molecular features of PrPSc microglia sense and respond to that drive microglia to inflammatory states. The current study asked the questions whether PrPSc can directly trigger activation of microglia and whether the degree of microglia response depends on the nature of terminal carbohydrate groups on the surface of PrPSc particles. PrPSc was purified from brains of mice infected with mouse-adapted prion strain 22L or neuroblastoma N2a cells stably infected with 22L. BV2 microglial cells or primary microglia were cultured in the presence of purified 22L. We found that exposure of BV2 cells or primary microglia to purified PrPSc triggered proinflammatory responses characterized by an increase in the levels of TNFα, IL6, nitric oxide (NO) and expression of inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase (iNOS). Very similar patterns of inflammatory response were induced by PrPSc purified from mouse brains and neuroblastoma cells arguing that microglia response is independent of the source of PrPSc. To test whether the microglial response is mediated by carbohydrate epitopes on PrPSc surface, the levels of sialylation of PrPSc N-linked glycans was altered by treatment of purified PrPSc with neuraminidase. Partial cleavage of sialic acid residues was found to boost the inflammatory response of microglia to PrPSc. Moreover, transient degradation of Iκβα observed upon treatment with partially desialylated PrPSc suggests that canonical NFκB activation pathway is involved in inflammatory response. The current study is the first to demonstrate that PrPSc can directly trigger inflammatory response in microglia. In addition, this work provides direct evidence that the chemical nature of the carbohydrate groups on PrPSc surface is important for microglial activation.
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46
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Sangeetham SB, Huszár K, Bencsura P, Nyeste A, Hunyadi-Gulyás É, Fodor E, Welker E. Interrogating the Dimerization Interface of the Prion Protein Via Site-Specific Mutations to p-Benzoyl-L-Phenylalanine. J Mol Biol 2018; 430:2784-2801. [PMID: 29778603 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2018.05.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2018] [Revised: 05/07/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies are centered on the conformational transition of the prion protein from a mainly helical, monomeric structure to a β-sheet rich ordered aggregate. Experiments indicate that the main infectious and toxic species in this process are however shorter oligomers, formation of which from the monomers is yet enigmatic. Here, we created 25 variants of the mouse prion protein site-specifically containing one genetically-incorporated para-benzoyl-phenylalanine (pBpa), a cross-linkable non-natural amino acid, in order to interrogate the interface of a prion protein-dimer, which might lie on the pathway of oligomerization. Our results reveal that the N-terminal part of the prion protein, especially regions around position 127 and 107, is integral part of the dimer interface. These together with additional pBpa-containing variants of mPrP might also facilitate to gain more structural insights into oligomeric and fibrillar prion protein species including the pathological variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudheer Babu Sangeetham
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Krisztina Huszár
- Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Petra Bencsura
- Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Antal Nyeste
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary; ProteoScientia Ltd., Cserhátszentiván, Hungary
| | - Éva Hunyadi-Gulyás
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Elfrieda Fodor
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Ervin Welker
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary; Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
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47
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Flores-Fernández JM, Rathod V, Wille H. Comparing the Folds of Prions and Other Pathogenic Amyloids. Pathogens 2018; 7:E50. [PMID: 29734684 PMCID: PMC6027354 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens7020050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Revised: 04/29/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic amyloids are the main feature of several neurodegenerative disorders, such as Creutzfeldt⁻Jakob disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. High resolution structures of tau paired helical filaments (PHFs), amyloid-β(1-42) (Aβ(1-42)) fibrils, and α-synuclein fibrils were recently reported using cryo-electron microscopy. A high-resolution structure for the infectious prion protein, PrPSc, is not yet available due to its insolubility and its propensity to aggregate, but cryo-electron microscopy, X-ray fiber diffraction, and other approaches have defined the overall architecture of PrPSc as a 4-rung β-solenoid. Thus, the structure of PrPSc must have a high similarity to that of the fungal prion HET-s, which is part of the fungal heterokaryon incompatibility system and contains a 2-rung β-solenoid. This review compares the structures of tau PHFs, Aβ(1-42), and α-synuclein fibrils, where the β-strands of each molecule stack on top of each other in a parallel in-register arrangement, with the β-solenoid folds of HET-s and PrPSc.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Miguel Flores-Fernández
- Department of Biochemistry & Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, 204 Brain and Aging Research Building, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M8, Canada.
| | - Vineet Rathod
- Department of Biochemistry & Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, 204 Brain and Aging Research Building, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M8, Canada.
| | - Holger Wille
- Department of Biochemistry & Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, 204 Brain and Aging Research Building, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M8, Canada.
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48
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Abstract
Amyloid fibrils are protein homopolymers that adopt diverse cross-β conformations. Some amyloid fibrils are associated with the pathogenesis of devastating neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Conversely, functional amyloids play beneficial roles in melanosome biogenesis, long-term memory formation and release of peptide hormones. Here, we showcase advances in our understanding of amyloid assembly and structure, and how distinct amyloid strains formed by the same protein can cause distinct neurodegenerative diseases. We discuss how mutant steric zippers promote deleterious amyloidogenesis and aberrant liquid-to-gel phase transitions. We also highlight effective strategies to combat amyloidogenesis and related toxicity, including: (1) small-molecule drugs (e.g. tafamidis) to inhibit amyloid formation or (2) stimulate amyloid degradation by the proteasome and autophagy, and (3) protein disaggregases that disassemble toxic amyloid and soluble oligomers. We anticipate that these advances will inspire therapeutics for several fatal neurodegenerative diseases. Summary: This Review showcases important advances in our understanding of amyloid structure, assembly and disassembly, which are inspiring novel therapeutic strategies for amyloid disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Chuang
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.,Pharmacology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Acacia M Hori
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Christina D Hesketh
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - James Shorter
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA .,Pharmacology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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49
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Yamaguchi KI, Kuwata K. Formation and properties of amyloid fibrils of prion protein. Biophys Rev 2018; 10:517-525. [PMID: 29204880 PMCID: PMC5899736 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-017-0377-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 11/23/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyloid fibrils formed from prion protein (PrP) are associated with prion diseases. In this review we discuss a number of extrinsic and intrinsic experimental factors related to the formation of PrP amyloid fibrils in vitro. We first examined the effects of ultrasonic power on the induction of amyloid fibrillation from PrP. The most important conclusion drawn from the results is that an applied ultrasonic power of approximately 2 W enhanced the nucleation of amyloid fibrils efficiently but that more powerful ultrasonication led to retardation of growth. We also reviewed evidence on the amyloidogenic regions of PrP based on peptide screening throughout the polypeptide sequence. These results showed that helix 2 (H2) peptides of PrP were capable of both the fibrillation and propagation of straight, long fibrils. Moreover, the conformation of preformed H2 fibrils changed reversibly depending on the pH of the solution, implying that interactions between side-chains modulated the conformation of amyloid fibrils. The evidence discussed in this review relates specifically to PrP but may be relevant to other amyloidogenic proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kei-ichi Yamaguchi
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 Japan
- United Graduate School of Drug Discovery and Medical Information Sciences, Gifu University, Yanagido 1-1, Gifu, 501-1193 Japan
| | - Kazuo Kuwata
- United Graduate School of Drug Discovery and Medical Information Sciences, Gifu University, Yanagido 1-1, Gifu, 501-1193 Japan
- Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, Yanagido 1-1, Gifu, 501-1193 Japan
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T. Islam AM, Adlard PA, Finkelstein DI, Lewis V, Biggi S, Biasini E, Collins SJ. Acute Neurotoxicity Models of Prion Disease. ACS Chem Neurosci 2018; 9:431-445. [PMID: 29393619 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.7b00517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are phenotypically diverse, transmissible, neurodegenerative disorders affecting both animals and humans. Misfolding of the normal prion protein (PrPC) into disease-associated conformers (PrPSc) is considered the critical etiological event underpinning prion diseases, with such misfolded isoforms linked to both disease transmission and neurotoxicity. Although important advances in our understanding of prion biology and pathogenesis have occurred over the last 3-4 decades, many fundamental questions remain to be resolved, including consensus regarding the principal pathways subserving neuronal dysfunction, as well as detailed biophysical characterization of PrPSc species transmitting disease and/or directly associated with neurotoxicity. In vivo and in vitro models have been, and remain, critical to furthering our understanding across many aspects of prion disease patho-biology. Prion animal models are arguably the most authentic in vivo models of neurodegeneration that exist and have provided valuable and multifarious insights into pathogenesis; however, they are expensive and time-consuming, and it can be problematic to clearly discern evidence of direct PrPSc neurotoxicity in the overall context of pathogenesis. In vitro models, in contrast, generally offer greater tractability and appear more suited to assessments of direct acute neurotoxicity but have until recently been relatively simplistic, and overall there remains a relative paucity of validated, biologically relevant models with heightened reliability as far as translational insights, contributing to difficulties in redressing our knowledge gaps in prion disease pathogenesis. In this review, we provide an overview of the spectrum and methodological diversity of in vivo and in vitro models of prion acute toxicity, as well as the pathogenic insights gained from these studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - S. Biggi
- CIBIO, University of Trento, 38123 Povo, Trento, Italy
| | - E. Biasini
- CIBIO, University of Trento, 38123 Povo, Trento, Italy
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