1
|
Marín-Moreno A, Benestad SL, Barrio T, Pirisinu L, Espinosa JC, Tran L, Huor A, Di Bari MA, Eraña H, Maddison BC, D'Agostino C, Fernández-Borges N, Canoyra S, Jerez-Garrido N, Castilla J, Spiropoulos J, Bishop K, Gough KC, Nonno R, Våge J, Andréoletti O, Torres JM. Classical BSE dismissed as the cause of CWD in Norwegian red deer despite strain similarities between both prion agents. Vet Res 2024; 55:62. [PMID: 38750594 PMCID: PMC11097568 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-024-01320-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The first case of CWD in a Norwegian red deer was detected by a routine ELISA test and confirmed by western blotting and immunohistochemistry in the brain stem of the animal. Two different western blotting tests were conducted independently in two different laboratories, showing that the red deer glycoprofile was different from the Norwegian CWD reindeer and CWD moose and from North American CWD. The isolate showed nevertheless features similar to the classical BSE (BSE-C) strain. Furthermore, BSE-C could not be excluded based on the PrPSc immunohistochemistry staining in the brainstem and the absence of detectable PrPSc in the lymphoid tissues. Because of the known ability of BSE-C to cross species barriers as well as its zoonotic potential, the CWD red deer isolate was submitted to the EURL Strain Typing Expert Group (STEG) as a BSE-C suspect for further investigation. In addition, different strain typing in vivo and in vitro strategies aiming at identifying the BSE-C strain in the red deer isolate were performed independently in three research groups and BSE-C was not found in it. These results suggest that the Norwegian CWD red deer case was infected with a previously unknown CWD type and further investigation is needed to determine the characteristics of this potential new CWD strain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alba Marín-Moreno
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA), Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Tomas Barrio
- UMR École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse (ENVT), 1225 Interactions Hôtes-Agents Pathogènes, Institut National Pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (INRAE), Toulouse, France
| | - Laura Pirisinu
- Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Juan Carlos Espinosa
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA), Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Linh Tran
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Ås, Norway
| | - Alvina Huor
- UMR École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse (ENVT), 1225 Interactions Hôtes-Agents Pathogènes, Institut National Pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (INRAE), Toulouse, France
| | - Michele Angelo Di Bari
- Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Hasier Eraña
- CIC bioGUNE, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Basque Foundation for Science, Bizkaia Technology Park & IKERBASQUE, Bizkaia, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Carlos III National Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ben C Maddison
- RSK- ADAS Ltd, Technology Drive, Beeston, Nottingham, UK
| | - Claudia D'Agostino
- Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Natalia Fernández-Borges
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA), Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sara Canoyra
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA), Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Nuria Jerez-Garrido
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA), Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Joaquín Castilla
- CIC bioGUNE, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Basque Foundation for Science, Bizkaia Technology Park & IKERBASQUE, Bizkaia, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Carlos III National Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Keith Bishop
- RSK- ADAS Ltd, Technology Drive, Beeston, Nottingham, UK
| | | | - Romolo Nonno
- Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Jorn Våge
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Ås, Norway
| | - Olivier Andréoletti
- UMR École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse (ENVT), 1225 Interactions Hôtes-Agents Pathogènes, Institut National Pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (INRAE), Toulouse, France
| | - Juan María Torres
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA), Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Peden AH, Libori A, Ritchie DL, Yull H, Smith C, Kanguru L, Molesworth A, Knight R, Barria MA. Enhanced Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease surveillance in the older population: Assessment of a protocol for screening brain tissue donations for prion disease. Brain Pathol 2024; 34:e13214. [PMID: 37771100 PMCID: PMC10901620 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.13214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Human prion diseases, including Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), occur in sporadic, genetic, and acquired forms. Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) first reported in 1996 in the United Kingdom (UK), resulted from contamination of food with bovine spongiform encephalopathy. There is a concern that UK national surveillance mechanisms might miss some CJD cases (including vCJD), particularly in the older population where other neurodegenerative disorders are more prevalent. We developed a highly sensitive protocol for analysing autopsy brain tissue for the misfolded prion protein (PrPSc ) associated with prion disease, which could be used to screen for prion disease in the elderly. Brain tissue samples from 331 donors to the Edinburgh Brain and Tissue Bank (EBTB), from 2005 to 2022, were analysed, using immunohistochemical analysis on fixed tissue, and five biochemical tests on frozen specimens from six brain regions, based on different principles for detecting PrPSc . An algorithm was established for classifying the biochemical results. To test the effectiveness of the protocol, several neuropathologically confirmed prion disease controls, including vCJD, were included and blinded in the study cohort. On unblinding, all the positive control cases had been correctly identified. No other cases tested positive; our analysis uncovered no overlooked prion disease cases. Our algorithm for classifying cases was effective for handling anomalous biochemical results. An overall analysis suggested that a reduced biochemical protocol employing only three of the five tests on only two brain tissue regions gave sufficient sensitivity and specificity. We conclude that this protocol may be useful as a UK-wide screening programme for human prion disease in selected brains from autopsies in the elderly. Further improvements to the protocol were suggested by enhancements of the in vitro conversion assays made during the course of this study.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander H. Peden
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit (NCJDRSU), Centre for Clinical Brain SciencesThe University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Adriana Libori
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit (NCJDRSU), Centre for Clinical Brain SciencesThe University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Diane L. Ritchie
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit (NCJDRSU), Centre for Clinical Brain SciencesThe University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Helen Yull
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit (NCJDRSU), Centre for Clinical Brain SciencesThe University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Colin Smith
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit (NCJDRSU), Centre for Clinical Brain SciencesThe University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
- Edinburgh Brain Bank (EBB), Centre for Clinical Brain SciencesUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Lovney Kanguru
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit (NCJDRSU), Centre for Clinical Brain SciencesThe University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Anna Molesworth
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit (NCJDRSU), Centre for Clinical Brain SciencesThe University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Richard Knight
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit (NCJDRSU), Centre for Clinical Brain SciencesThe University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Marcelo A. Barria
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit (NCJDRSU), Centre for Clinical Brain SciencesThe University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Olszewska DA, Lang AE. The definition of precision medicine in neurodegenerative disorders and the one disease-many diseases tension. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2023; 192:3-20. [PMID: 36796946 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-85538-9.00005-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Precision medicine is a patient-centered approach that aims to translate new knowledge to optimize the type and timing of interventions for the greatest benefit to individual patients. There is considerable interest in applying this approach to treatments designed to slow or halt the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Indeed, effective disease-modifying treatment (DMT) remains the greatest unmet therapeutic need in this field. In contrast to the enormous progress in oncology, precision medicine in the field of neurodegeneration faces multiple challenges. These are related to major limitations in our understanding of many aspects of the diseases. A critical barrier to advances in this field is the question of whether the common sporadic neurodegenerative diseases (of the elderly) are single uniform disorders (particularly related to their pathogenesis) or whether they represent a collection of related but still very distinct disease states. In this chapter, we briefly touch on lessons from other fields of medicine that might be applied to the development of precision medicine for DMT in neurodegenerative diseases. We discuss why DMT trials may have failed to date, and particularly the importance of appreciating the multifaceted nature of disease heterogeneity and how this has and will impact on these efforts. We conclude with comments on how we can move from this complex disease heterogeneity to the successful application of precision medicine principles in DMT for neurodegenerative diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diana A Olszewska
- Department of Neurology, Division of Movement Disorders, Edmond J. Safra Program in Parkinson's Disease and the Morton and Gloria Shulman Movement Disorders Clinic, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Anthony E Lang
- Department of Neurology, Division of Movement Disorders, Edmond J. Safra Program in Parkinson's Disease and the Morton and Gloria Shulman Movement Disorders Clinic, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Susceptibility of Beavers to Chronic Wasting Disease. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11050667. [PMID: 35625395 PMCID: PMC9137852 DOI: 10.3390/biology11050667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a contagious, fatal, neurodegenerative prion disease of cervids. The expanding geographical range and rising prevalence of CWD are increasing the risk of pathogen transfer and spillover of CWD to non-cervid sympatric species. As beavers have close contact with environmental and food sources of CWD infectivity, we hypothesized that they may be susceptible to CWD prions. We evaluated the susceptibility of beavers to prion diseases by challenging transgenic mice expressing beaver prion protein (tgBeaver) with five strains of CWD, four isolates of rodent-adapted prions and one strain of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. All CWD strains transmitted to the tgBeaver mice, with attack rates highest from moose CWD and the 116AG and H95+ strains of deer CWD. Mouse-, rat-, and especially hamster-adapted prions were also transmitted with complete attack rates and short incubation periods. We conclude that the beaver prion protein is an excellent substrate for sustaining prion replication and that beavers are at risk for CWD pathogen transfer and spillover.
Collapse
|
5
|
Ximelis T, Marín-Moreno A, Espinosa JC, Eraña H, Charco JM, Hernández I, Riveira C, Alcolea D, González-Roca E, Aldecoa I, Molina-Porcel L, Parchi P, Rossi M, Castilla J, Ruiz-García R, Gelpi E, Torres JM, Sánchez-Valle R. Homozygous R136S mutation in PRNP gene causes inherited early onset prion disease. Alzheimers Res Ther 2021; 13:176. [PMID: 34663460 PMCID: PMC8524886 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-021-00912-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND More than 40 pathogenic heterozygous PRNP mutations causing inherited prion diseases have been identified to date. Recessive inherited prion disease has not been described to date. METHODS We describe the clinical and neuropathological data of inherited early-onset prion disease caused by the rare PRNP homozygous mutation R136S. In vitro PrPSc propagation studies were performed using recombinant-adapted protein misfolding cyclic amplification technique. Brain material from two R136S homozygous patients was intracranially inoculated in TgMet129 and TgVal129 transgenic mice to assess the transmissibility of this rare inherited form of prion disease. RESULTS The index case presented symptoms of early-onset dementia beginning at the age of 49 and died at the age of 53. Neuropathological evaluation of the proband revealed abundant multicentric PrP plaques and Western blotting revealed a ~ 8 kDa protease-resistant, unglycosylated PrPSc fragment, consistent with a Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker phenotype. Her youngest sibling suffered from progressive cognitive decline, motor impairment, and myoclonus with onset in her late 30s and died at the age of 48. Genetic analysis revealed the presence of the R136S mutation in homozygosis in the two affected subjects linked to homozygous methionine at codon 129. One sibling carrying the heterozygous R136S mutation, linked to homozygous methionine at codon 129, is still asymptomatic at the age of 74. The inoculation of human brain homogenates from our index case and an independent case from a Portuguese family with the same mutation in transgenic mice expressing human PrP and in vitro propagation of PrPSc studies failed to show disease transmissibility. CONCLUSION In conclusion, biallelic R136S substitution is a rare variant that produces inherited early-onset human prion disease with a Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker neuropathological and molecular signature. Even if the R136S variant is predicted to be "probably damaging", heterozygous carriers are protected, at least from an early onset providing evidence for a potentially recessive pattern of inheritance in human prion diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Ximelis
- Neurological Tissue Bank of the Biobanc-Hospital Clinic-Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alba Marín-Moreno
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA-CSIC), 28130 Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Carlos Espinosa
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA-CSIC), 28130 Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Hasier Eraña
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Spain
| | - Jorge M Charco
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Spain
| | - Isabel Hernández
- Fundació ACE, Barcelona Alzheimer Treatment and Research Center, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Daniel Alcolea
- Memory Unit, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, 08041, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eva González-Roca
- Immunology department, Biomedical Diagnostic Center, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Iban Aldecoa
- Neurological Tissue Bank of the Biobanc-Hospital Clinic-Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036, Barcelona, Spain
- Pathology Department, Biomedical Diagnostic Center, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, University of Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Molina-Porcel
- Neurological Tissue Bank of the Biobanc-Hospital Clinic-Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036, Barcelona, Spain
- Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, Villarroel, 170 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Piero Parchi
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, 40138, Bologna, Italy
- IRCCS, Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, 40139, Bologna, Italy
| | - Marcello Rossi
- IRCCS, Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, 40139, Bologna, Italy
| | - Joaquín Castilla
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Spain
- IKERBasque Basque Foundation for Science, 48009, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Raquel Ruiz-García
- Immunology department, Biomedical Diagnostic Center, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
- Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, Villarroel, 170 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ellen Gelpi
- Neurological Tissue Bank of the Biobanc-Hospital Clinic-Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036, Barcelona, Spain
- Division of Neuropathology and Neurochemistry, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Juan María Torres
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA-CSIC), 28130 Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Raquel Sánchez-Valle
- Neurological Tissue Bank of the Biobanc-Hospital Clinic-Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036, Barcelona, Spain.
- Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, Villarroel, 170 08036, Barcelona, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Marín-Moreno A, Espinosa JC, Aguilar-Calvo P, Fernández-Borges N, Pitarch JL, González L, Torres JM. Canine D 163-PrP polymorphic variant does not provide complete protection against prion infection in small ruminant PrP context. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14309. [PMID: 34253783 PMCID: PMC8275588 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93594-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
E/D163 polymorphism of dog prion protein (PrP) has been recently proposed as the variant responsible for canid prion resistance. To further investigate the protective role of this variant against prion replication, the transgenic mouse model OvPrP-Tg532 expressing sheep/goat PrP carrying the substitution D162 (equivalent to D163 position of dog PrP) was generated and intracranially inoculated with a broad collection of small ruminant prion strains. OvPrP-Tg532 mice showed resistance to classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) from sheep and some classical scrapie isolates from sheep and goat but were susceptible to ovine atypical L-BSE and numerous classical scrapie isolates. Strikingly, some of these classical scrapie isolates showed a shift in their prion strain properties. These results suggest that other PrP residues apart from E/D163 variant of dog PrP or factors distinct than PrP may participate in prion resistance of canids and that different factors may be required for D162 sheep PrP to provide effective protection to sheep against ruminant prions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alba Marín-Moreno
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA-INIA, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | - José Luis Pitarch
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA-INIA, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lorenzo González
- Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA), Penicuik, Midlothian, UK
| | - Juan María Torres
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA-INIA, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Nemani SK, Xiao X, Cali I, Cracco L, Puoti G, Nigro M, Lavrich J, Bharara Singh A, Appleby BS, Sim VL, Notari S, Surewicz WK, Gambetti P. A novel mechanism of phenotypic heterogeneity in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2020; 8:85. [PMID: 32560672 PMCID: PMC7304206 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-020-00966-x] [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: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
One of remarkable features of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) is the great phenotypic variability. Understanding the molecular basis of this variability has important implications for the development of therapeutic approaches. It is well established that, in many cases, phenotypic heterogeneity of sCJD is under control of two determinants: the genotype at the methionine (M)/valine (V) polymorphic codon 129 of the human prion protein gene and the type, 1 or 2, of the pathogenic and disease-related form of the prion protein, PrPD. However, this scenario fails to explain the existence of distinct heterozygous sCJDMV2 subtypes, where heterogeneity occurs without any variation of the 129 allotype and PrPD type. One of these subtypes, denoted sCJDMV2C, associated with PrPD type 2, is characterized by widespread spongiform degeneration of the cerebral cortex (C). The second variant, denoted sCJDMV2K, features prominent deposition of PrPD amyloid forming kuru type (K) plaques. Here we used a mass spectrometry based approach to test the hypothesis that phenotypic variability within the sCJDMV2 subtype is at least partly determined by the abundance of 129 M and 129 V polymorphic forms of proteinase K-resistant PrPD (resPrPD). Consistent with this hypothesis, our data demonstrated a strong correlation of the MV2C and MV2K phenotypes with the relative populations of protease-resistant forms of the pathogenic prion proteins, resPrPD-129 M and resPrPD-129 V, where resPrPD-129 M dominated in the sCJDMV2C variant and resPrPD-129 V in the sCJDMV2K variant. This finding suggests an important, previously unrecognized mechanism for phenotypic determination in human prion diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Satish K. Nemani
- grid.67105.350000 0001 2164 3847Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106 USA
| | - Xiangzhu Xiao
- grid.67105.350000 0001 2164 3847Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106 USA
| | - Ignazio Cali
- grid.67105.350000 0001 2164 3847Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106 USA ,grid.67105.350000 0001 2164 3847National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106 USA
| | - Laura Cracco
- grid.67105.350000 0001 2164 3847Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106 USA
| | - Gianfranco Puoti
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, 81100 Caserta, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Nigro
- Department of Mental Health and Emergency Psychiatry, P. O. “Maresca”, Asl Napoli 3 Sud, 80059 Torre del Greco, Italy
| | - Jody Lavrich
- grid.67105.350000 0001 2164 3847Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106 USA
| | - Anuradha Bharara Singh
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Vascular Medicine Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261 USA
| | - Brian S. Appleby
- grid.67105.350000 0001 2164 3847Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106 USA ,grid.67105.350000 0001 2164 3847National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106 USA ,grid.67105.350000 0001 2164 3847Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106 USA ,grid.67105.350000 0001 2164 3847Department of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106 USA
| | - Valerie L. Sim
- grid.17089.37Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, T6G2M8 Canada
| | - Silvio Notari
- grid.67105.350000 0001 2164 3847Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106 USA
| | - Witold K. Surewicz
- grid.67105.350000 0001 2164 3847Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106 USA
| | - Pierluigi Gambetti
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Barrio T, Filali H, Otero A, Sheleby-Elías J, Marín B, Vidal E, Béringue V, Torres JM, Groschup M, Andréoletti O, Badiola JJ, Bolea R. Mixtures of prion substrains in natural scrapie cases revealed by ovinised murine models. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5042. [PMID: 32193445 PMCID: PMC7081250 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61977-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic variability in prion diseases, such as scrapie, is associated to the existence of prion strains, which are different pathogenic prion protein (PrPSc) conformations with distinct pathobiological properties. To faithfully study scrapie strain variability in natural sheep isolates, transgenic mice expressing sheep cellular prion protein (PrPC) are used. In this study, we used two of such models to bioassay 20 scrapie isolates from the Spain-France-Andorra transboundary territory. Animals were intracerebrally inoculated and survival periods, proteinase K-resistant PrP (PrPres) banding patterns, lesion profiles and PrPSc distribution were studied. Inocula showed a remarkable homogeneity on banding patterns, all of them but one showing 19-kDa PrPres. However, a number of isolates caused accumulation of 21-kDa PrPres in TgShp XI. A different subgroup of isolates caused long survival periods and presence of 21-kDa PrPres in Tg338 mice. It seemed that one major 19-kDa prion isoform and two distinct 21-kDa variants coexisted in source inocula, and that they could be separated by bioassay in each transgenic model. The reason why each model favours a specific component of the mixture is unknown, although PrPC expression level may play a role. Our results indicate that coinfection with more than one substrain is more frequent than infection with a single component.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tomás Barrio
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón - IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza - CITA), 50013, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Hicham Filali
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón - IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza - CITA), 50013, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Alicia Otero
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón - IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza - CITA), 50013, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Jessica Sheleby-Elías
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón - IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza - CITA), 50013, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Belén Marín
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón - IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza - CITA), 50013, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Enric Vidal
- Priocat Laboratory, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), UAB-IRTA, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Vincent Béringue
- UMR Virologie Immunologie Moléculaires (VIM-UR892), INRA, Université Paris-Saclay, 78352, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Juan María Torres
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA-INIA, 28130, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Martin Groschup
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald-Isle of Riems, Germany
| | - Olivier Andréoletti
- UMR INRA ENVT 1225- IHAP, École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, 31076, Toulouse, France
| | - Juan José Badiola
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón - IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza - CITA), 50013, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Rosa Bolea
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón - IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza - CITA), 50013, Zaragoza, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Espinosa JC, Comoy EE, Marin-Moreno A, Aguilar-Calvo P, Birling MC, Pitarch JL, Deslys JP, Torres JM. Transgenic mouse models expressing human and macaque prion protein exhibit similar prion susceptibility on a strain-dependent manner. Sci Rep 2019; 9:15699. [PMID: 31666632 PMCID: PMC6821920 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52155-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Cynomolgus macaque has been used for the evaluation of the zoonotic potential of prion diseases, especially for classical-Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (classical-BSE) infectious agent. PrP amino acid sequence is considered to play a key role in the susceptibility to prion strains and only one amino acid change may alter this susceptibility. Macaque and human-PrP sequences have only nine amino acid differences, but the effect of these amino acid changes in the susceptibility to dissimilar prion strains is unknown. In this work, the transmissibility of a panel of different prions from several species was compared in transgenic mice expressing either macaque-PrPC (TgMac) or human-PrPC (Hu-Tg340). Similarities in the transmissibility of most prion strains were observed suggesting that macaque is an adequate model for the evaluation of human susceptibility to most of the prion strains tested. Interestingly, TgMac were more susceptible to classical-BSE strain infection than Hu-Tg340. This differential susceptibility to classical-BSE transmission should be taken into account for the interpretation of the results obtained in macaques. It could notably explain why the macaque model turned out to be so efficient (worst case model) until now to model human situation towards classical-BSE despite the limited number of animals inoculated in the laboratory experiments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan Carlos Espinosa
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (INIA-CISA), 28130, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Emmanuel E Comoy
- CEA, Institut François Jacob, Université Paris-Saclay, 18 Route du Panorama, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Alba Marin-Moreno
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (INIA-CISA), 28130, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | - José Luis Pitarch
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (INIA-CISA), 28130, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jean-Philippe Deslys
- CEA, Institut François Jacob, Université Paris-Saclay, 18 Route du Panorama, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Juan María Torres
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (INIA-CISA), 28130, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Piconi G, Peden AH, Barria MA, Green AJE. Epitope mapping of the protease resistant products of RT-QuIC does not allow the discrimination of sCJD subtypes. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0218509. [PMID: 31206560 PMCID: PMC6576779 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0218509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) is a transmissible, rapidly progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease. The transmissible agent linked to sCJD is composed of the misfolded form of the host-encoded prion protein. The combination of histopathological and biochemical analyses has allowed the identification and sub-classification of six sCJD subtypes. This classification depends on the polymorphic variability of codon 129 of the prion protein gene and the PrPres isotype, and appears to be associated with neuropathological and clinical features. Currently, sCJD subtyping is only fully achievable post mortem. However, a rapid and non-invasive method for discriminating sCJD subtypes in vita would be invaluable for the clinical management of affected individuals, and for the selection of participants for clinical trials. The CSF analysis by Real Time Quaking Induced Conversion (RT-QuIC) reaction is the most sensitive and specific ante mortem sCJD diagnostic test available to date, and it is used by a number of laboratories internationally. RT-QuIC takes advantage of the natural replication mechanisms of prions by template-induced misfolding, employing recombinant prion protein as reaction substrate. We asked whether epitope mapping, of the RT-QuIC reaction products obtained from seeding RT-QuIC with brain and CSF samples from each of the six molecular subtypes of sCJD could be employed to distinguish them and therefore achieve in vita sCJD molecular subtyping. We found that it is possible to distinguish the RT-QuIC products generated by sCJD biological samples from the ones generated by spontaneous conversion in the negative controls, but that different sCJD subtypes generate very similar, if not identical RT-QuIC reaction products. We concluded that whilst RT-QuIC has demonstrable diagnostic value it has limited prognostic value at this point in time.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Piconi
- The National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Alexander H. Peden
- The National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Marcelo A. Barria
- The National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Alison J. E. Green
- The National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Rossi M, Baiardi S, Parchi P. Understanding Prion Strains: Evidence from Studies of the Disease Forms Affecting Humans. Viruses 2019; 11:E309. [PMID: 30934971 PMCID: PMC6520670 DOI: 10.3390/v11040309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2019] [Revised: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are a unique group of rare neurodegenerative disorders characterized by tissue deposition of heterogeneous aggregates of abnormally folded protease-resistant prion protein (PrPSc), a broad spectrum of disease phenotypes and a variable efficiency of disease propagation in vivo. The dominant clinicopathological phenotypes of human prion disease include Creutzfeldt⁻Jakob disease, fatal insomnia, variably protease-sensitive prionopathy, and Gerstmann⁻Sträussler⁻Scheinker disease. Prion disease propagation into susceptible hosts led to the isolation and characterization of prion strains, initially operatively defined as "isolates" causing diseases with distinctive characteristics, such as the incubation period, the pattern of PrPSc distribution, and the regional severity of neuropathological changes after injection into syngeneic hosts. More recently, the structural basis of prion strains has been linked to amyloid polymorphs (i.e., variant amyloid protein conformations) and the concept extended to all protein amyloids showing polymorphic structures and some evidence of in vivo or in vitro propagation by seeding. Despite the significant advances, however, the link between amyloid structure and disease is not understood in many instances. Here we reviewed the most significant contributions of human prion disease studies to current knowledge of the molecular basis of phenotypic variability and the prion strain phenomenon and underlined the unsolved issues from the human disease perspective.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marcello Rossi
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, Bologna 40138, Italy.
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna 40139, Italy.
| | - Simone Baiardi
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna 40123, Italy.
| | - Piero Parchi
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna 40139, Italy.
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, Bologna 40138, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Baiardi S, Rossi M, Capellari S, Parchi P. Recent advances in the histo-molecular pathology of human prion disease. Brain Pathol 2019; 29:278-300. [PMID: 30588685 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.12695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are progressive neurodegenerative disorders affecting humans and other mammalian species. The term prion, originally put forward to propose the concept that a protein could be infectious, refers to PrPSc , a misfolded isoform of the cellular prion protein (PrPC ) that represents the pathogenetic hallmark of these disorders. The discovery that other proteins characterized by misfolding and seeded aggregation can spread from cell to cell, similarly to PrPSc , has increased interest in prion diseases. Among neurodegenerative disorders, however, prion diseases distinguish themselves for the broader phenotypic spectrum, the fastest disease progression and the existence of infectious forms that can be transmitted through the exposure to diseased tissues via ingestion, injection or transplantation. The main clinicopathological phenotypes of human prion disease include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, by far the most common, fatal insomnia, variably protease-sensitive prionopathy, and Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease. However, clinicopathological manifestations extend even beyond those predicted by this classification. Because of their transmissibility, the phenotypic diversity of prion diseases can also be propagated into syngenic hosts as prion strains with distinct characteristics, such as incubation period, pattern of PrPSc distribution and regional severity of histopathological changes in the brain. Increasing evidence indicates that different PrPSc conformers, forming distinct ordered aggregates, encipher the phenotypic variants related to prion strains. In this review, we summarize the most recent advances concerning the histo-molecular pathology of human prion disease focusing on the phenotypic spectrum of the disease including co-pathologies, the characterization of prion strains by experimental transmission and their correlation with the physicochemical properties of PrPSc aggregates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simone Baiardi
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Marcello Rossi
- IRCCS, Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Sabina Capellari
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,IRCCS, Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Piero Parchi
- IRCCS, Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Nonpathogenic Heterologous Prions Can Interfere with Prion Infection in a Strain-Dependent Manner. J Virol 2018; 92:JVI.01086-18. [PMID: 30282706 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01086-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Co-occurrence of different prion strains into the same host has been recognized as a natural phenomenon for several sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) patients and natural scrapie cases. The final outcome of prion coinfection is not easily predictable. In addition to the usual factors that influence prion conversion, the replication of one strain may entail positive or negative consequences to the other. The main aim of this study was to gain insights into the prion coinfection and interference concepts and their potential therapeutic implications. Here, different mouse models were challenged with several combinations of prion strains coupled on the basis of the lengths of their incubation periods and the existence/absence of a species barrier in the tested animal model. We found that nontransmissible strains can interfere the replication of fully transmissible strains when there is a species transmission barrier involved, as happened with the combination of a mouse (22L) and a human (sCJD) strain. However, this phenomenon seems to be strain dependent, since no interference was observed when the human strain coinoculated was vCJD. For the other combinations tested in this study, the results suggest that both strains replicate independently without effect on the replication of one over the other. It is common that the strain with more favorable conditions (e.g., a higher speed of disease development or the absence of a species barrier) ends being the only one detectable at the terminal stage of the disease. However, this does not exclude the replication of the least favored strain, leading to situations of the coexistence of prion strains.IMPORTANCE As a general conclusion, the outcome of prion coinfection is strongly dependent on the strain combination and the model utilized and is therefore difficult to predict. The coexistence of several prion strains may remain undetected if one of the strains has more favorable conditions to replicate in the host. The use of several models (such as a transgenic mouse expressing PrP from different species) to analyze field prion isolates is recommended to avoid this situation. The inference effect exerted by nonreplicative prion strains should be considered an interesting tool to advance in new therapeutic strategies for treating prion diseases; it may even be a proper therapeutic strategy.
Collapse
|
14
|
Krejciova Z, Alibhai J, Zhao C, Krencik R, Rzechorzek NM, Ullian EM, Manson J, Ironside JW, Head MW, Chandran S. Human stem cell-derived astrocytes replicate human prions in a PRNP genotype-dependent manner. J Exp Med 2017; 214:3481-3495. [PMID: 29141869 PMCID: PMC5716027 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20161547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2016] [Revised: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Prions are infectious agents that cause neurodegenerative diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). The absence of a human cell culture model that replicates human prions has hampered prion disease research for decades. In this paper, we show that astrocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) support the replication of prions from brain samples of CJD patients. For experimental exposure of astrocytes to variant CJD (vCJD), the kinetics of prion replication occur in a prion protein codon 129 genotype-dependent manner, reflecting the genotype-dependent susceptibility to clinical vCJD found in patients. Furthermore, iPSC-derived astrocytes can replicate prions associated with the major sporadic CJD strains found in human patients. Lastly, we demonstrate the subpassage of prions from infected to naive astrocyte cultures, indicating the generation of prion infectivity in vitro. Our study addresses a long-standing gap in the repertoire of human prion disease research, providing a new in vitro system for accelerated mechanistic studies and drug discovery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zuzana Krejciova
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK,Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - James Alibhai
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Chen Zhao
- Medical Research Council Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Robert Krencik
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX
| | - Nina M. Rzechorzek
- Medical Research Council Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK,Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Erik M. Ullian
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Jean Manson
- Neurobiology Division, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - James W. Ironside
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Mark W. Head
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Siddharthan Chandran
- Medical Research Council Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK,UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK,Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK,Centre for Brain Development and Repair, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, India,Correspondence to Siddharthan Chandran:
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Fiorini M, Bongianni M, Monaco S, Zanusso G. Biochemical Characterization of Prions. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2017; 150:389-407. [PMID: 28838671 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2017.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Prion disease or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies are characterized by the presence of the abnormal form of the prion protein (PrPSc). The pathological and transmissible properties of PrPSc are enciphered in its secondary and tertiary structures. Since it's well established that different strains of prions are linked to different conformations of PrPSc, biochemical characterization of prions seems a preliminary but reliable approach to detect, analyze, and compare prion strains. Experimental biochemical procedures might be helpful in distinguishing PrPSc physicochemical properties and include resistance to proteinase K (PK) digestion, insolubility in nonionic detergents, PK-resistance under denaturing conditions and sedimentation properties in sucrose gradients. This biochemical approach has been extensively applied in human prion disorders and subsequently expanded for PrPSc characterization in animals. In particular, in sporadic Creutzfedlt-Jakob disease (sCJD) PrPSc is characterized by two main glycotypes conventionally named Type 1 and Type 2, based on the apparent gel migration at 21 and 19kDa of the PrPSc PK-resistant fragment. An additional PrPSc type was identified in sCJD characterized by an unglycosylated dominant glycoform pattern and in 2010 a variably protease-sensitive prionopathy (VPSPr) was reported showing a PrPSc with an electrophoretic ladder like pattern. Additionally, the presence of PrPSc truncated fragments completes the electrophoretic characterization of different prion strains. By two-dimensional (2D) electrophoretic analysis additional PrPSc pattern was identified, since this procedure provides information about the isoelectric point and the different peptides length related to PK cleavage, as well as to glycosylation extent or GPI anchor presence. We here provide and extensive review on PrPSc biochemical analysis in human and animal prion disorders. Further, we show that PrPSc glycotypes observed in CJD share similarities with PrPSc in bovine spongiform encephalopathy forms (BSE).
Collapse
|
16
|
Peng C, Gathagan RJ, Lee VMY. Distinct α-Synuclein strains and implications for heterogeneity among α-Synucleinopathies. Neurobiol Dis 2017; 109:209-218. [PMID: 28751258 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2017.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2017] [Revised: 07/07/2017] [Accepted: 07/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The deposition of misfolded β-sheet enriched amyloid protein is a shared feature of many neurodegenerative diseases. Recent studies demonstrated the existence of conformationally diverse strains as a common property for multiple amyloidogenic proteins including α-Synuclein (α-Syn). α-Syn is misfolded and aggregated in a group of neurodegenerative diseases collectively known as α-Synucleinopathies, which include Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy body, multiple system atrophy and also a subset of Alzheimer's disease patients with concomitant PD-like Lewy bodies and neurites. While sharing the same pathological protein, different α-Synucleinopathies demonstrate distinct clinical and pathological phenotypes, which could result from the existence of diverse pathological α-Syn strains in patients. In this review, we summarized the characteristics of different α-Synucleinopathies and α-Syn strains generated with recombinant α-Syn monomers. We also make predictions of α-Syn strains that could potentially exist in patients based on the knowledge from other amyloid proteins and the clinical and pathological features of different α-Synucleinopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chao Peng
- The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ronald J Gathagan
- The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Virginia M-Y Lee
- The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Collinge J. Mammalian prions and their wider relevance in neurodegenerative diseases. Nature 2016; 539:217-226. [PMID: 27830781 DOI: 10.1038/nature20415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 176] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2016] [Accepted: 09/09/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Prions are notorious protein-only infectious agents that cause invariably fatal brain diseases following silent incubation periods that can span a lifetime. These diseases can arise spontaneously, through infection or be inherited. Remarkably, prions are composed of self-propagating assemblies of a misfolded cellular protein that encode information, generate neurotoxicity and evolve and adapt in vivo. Although parallels have been drawn with Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions involving the deposition of assemblies of misfolded proteins in the brain, insights are now being provided into the usefulness and limitations of prion analogies and their aetiological and therapeutic relevance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John Collinge
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit, University College London Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK.,Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
PrPC Governs Susceptibility to Prion Strains in Bank Vole, While Other Host Factors Modulate Strain Features. J Virol 2016; 90:10660-10669. [PMID: 27654300 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01592-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2016] [Accepted: 09/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Bank vole is a rodent species that shows differential susceptibility to the experimental transmission of different prion strains. In this work, the transmission features of a panel of diverse prions with distinct origins were assayed both in bank vole expressing methionine at codon 109 (Bv109M) and in transgenic mice expressing physiological levels of bank vole PrPC (the BvPrP-Tg407 mouse line). This work is the first systematic comparison of the transmission features of a collection of prion isolates, representing a panel of diverse prion strains, in a transgenic-mouse model and in its natural counterpart. The results showed very similar transmission properties in both the natural species and the transgenic-mouse model, demonstrating the key role of the PrP amino acid sequence in prion transmission susceptibility. However, differences in the PrPSc types propagated by Bv109M and BvPrP-Tg407 suggest that host factors other than PrPC modulate prion strain features. IMPORTANCE The differential susceptibility of bank voles to prion strains can be modeled in transgenic mice, suggesting that this selective susceptibility is controlled by the vole PrP sequence alone rather than by other species-specific factors. Differences in the phenotypes observed after prion transmissions in bank voles and in the transgenic mice suggest that host factors other than the PrPC sequence may affect the selection of the substrain replicating in the animal model.
Collapse
|
19
|
Incongruity between Prion Conversion and Incubation Period following Coinfection. J Virol 2016; 90:5715-23. [PMID: 27053546 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00409-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2016] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED When multiple prion strains are inoculated into the same host, they can interfere with each other. Strains with long incubation periods can suppress conversion of strains with short incubation periods; however, nothing is known about the conversion of the long-incubation-period strain during strain interference. To investigate this, we inoculated hamsters in the sciatic nerve with long-incubation-period strain 139H prior to superinfection with the short-incubation-period hyper (HY) strain of transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME). First, we found that 139H is transported along the same neuroanatomical tracks as HY TME, adding to the growing body of evidence indicating that PrP(Sc) favors retrograde transneuronal transport. In contrast to a previous report, we found that 139H interferes with HY TME infection, which is likely due to both strains targeting the same population of neurons following sciatic nerve inoculation. Under conditions where 139H blocked HY TME from causing disease, the strain-specific properties of PrP(Sc) corresponded with the strain that caused disease, consistent with our previous findings. In the groups of animals where incubation periods were not altered, we found that the animals contained a mixture of 139H and HY TME PrP(Sc) This finding expands the definition of strain interference to include conditions where PrP(Sc) formation is altered yet disease outcome is unaltered. Overall, these results contradict the premise that prion strains are static entities and instead suggest that strain mixtures are dynamic regardless of incubation period or clinical outcome of disease. IMPORTANCE Prions can exist as a mixture of strains in naturally infected animals, where they are able to interfere with the conversion of each other and to extend incubation periods. Little is known, however, about the dynamics of strain conversion under conditions where incubation periods are not affected. We found that inoculation of the same animal with two strains can result in the alteration of conversion of both strains under conditions where the resulting disease was consistent with infection with only a single strain. These data challenge the idea that prion strains are static and suggests that strain mixtures are more dynamic than previously appreciated. This observation has significant implications for prion adaptation.
Collapse
|
20
|
Diack AB, Ritchie DL, Peden AH, Brown D, Boyle A, Morabito L, Maclennan D, Burgoyne P, Jansen C, Knight RS, Piccardo P, Ironside JW, Manson JC. Variably protease-sensitive prionopathy, a unique prion variant with inefficient transmission properties. Emerg Infect Dis 2016; 20:1969-79. [PMID: 25418327 PMCID: PMC4257789 DOI: 10.3201/eid2012.140214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmission properties of this prion disease are biologically distinct, and the disease has limited potential for human-to-human transmission. Variably protease-sensitive prionopathy (VPSPr) can occur in persons of all codon 129 genotypes in the human prion protein gene (PRNP) and is characterized by a unique biochemical profile when compared with other human prion diseases. We investigated transmission properties of VPSPr by inoculating transgenic mice expressing human PRNP with brain tissue from 2 persons with the valine-homozygous (VV) and 1 with the heterozygous methionine/valine codon 129 genotype. No clinical signs or vacuolar pathology were observed in any inoculated mice. Small deposits of prion protein accumulated in the brains of inoculated mice after challenge with brain material from VV VPSPr patients. Some of these deposits resembled microplaques that occur in the brains of VPSPr patients. Comparison of these transmission properties with those of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the same lines of mice indicated that VPSPr has distinct biological properties. Moreover, we established that VPSPr has limited potential for human-to-human transmission.
Collapse
|
21
|
Ritchie DL, Gibson SV, Abee CR, Kreil TR, Ironside JW, Brown P. Blood transmission studies of prion infectivity in the squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus): the Baxter study. Transfusion 2015; 56:712-21. [PMID: 26594017 DOI: 10.1111/trf.13422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2015] [Revised: 09/30/2015] [Accepted: 10/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Four secondary transmissions of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) infectivity have been associated with the transfusion of nonleukoreduced red blood cells collected from vCJD patients during the asymptomatic phase of the disease. Establishing efficient experimental models for assessing the risk of future transmissions of vCJD infectivity via blood transfusion is of paramount importance in view of a study of archived appendix samples in which the prevalence of asymptomatic vCJD infection in the United Kingdom was estimated at approximately 1 in 2000 of the population. In this study, we investigated transmission of vCJD and sporadic CJD (sCJD) infectivity from blood using the squirrel monkey, which is highly susceptible to experimental challenge with human prion disease. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Whole blood collected from vCJD- and sCJD-infected squirrel monkeys was transfused at multiple time points into recipient squirrel monkeys. Blood recipients were euthanized approximately 7 years after their first blood transfusion. RESULTS No clinical or pathologic signs of a prion disease were observed in either the sCJD- or the vCJD-transfused monkeys, and immunohistochemistry and biochemical investigations showed no PrP(TSE) in central nervous system or lymphoreticular tissues. Similarly, monkeys inoculated intracerebrally (IC) and intravenously (IV) with either buffy coat or plasma from vCJD and sCJD patients failed to develop disease. However, white blood cells from a chimpanzee-passaged strain of human Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker (GSS) disease transmitted autopsy-proven disease to two IC-inoculated monkeys after incubation periods of 34 and 39 months. CONCLUSION Blood transmits GSS but not sCJD or vCJD infectivity to IC- or IV-inoculated squirrel monkeys within a 7-year observation period.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diane L Ritchie
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, Scotland
| | - Susan V Gibson
- College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama
| | | | - Thomas R Kreil
- Global Pathogen Safety, Baxalta, Formerly Baxter BioScience, Vienna, Austria
| | - James W Ironside
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, Scotland
| | - Paul Brown
- National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Langeveld JPM, Jacobs JG, Erkens JHF, Baron T, Andréoletti O, Yokoyama T, van Keulen LJM, van Zijderveld FG, Davidse A, Hope J, Tang Y, Bossers A. Sheep prions with molecular properties intermediate between classical scrapie, BSE and CH1641-scrapie. Prion 2015; 8:296-305. [PMID: 25522672 PMCID: PMC4601226 DOI: 10.4161/19336896.2014.983396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Efforts to differentiate bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) from scrapie in prion infected sheep have resulted in effective methods to decide about the absence of BSE. In rare instances uncertainties remain due to assumptions that BSE, classical scrapie and CH1641–a rare scrapie variant–could occur as mixtures. In field samples including those from fallen stock, triplex Western blotting analyses of variations in the molecular properties of the proteinase K resistant part of the disease‑associated form of prion protein (PrPres) represents a powerful tool for quick discrimination purposes. In this study we examined 7 deviant ovine field cases of scrapie for some typical molecular aspects of PrPres found in CH1641‑scrapie, classical scrapie and BSE. One case was most close to scrapie with respect to molecular mass of its non-glycosylated fraction and N-terminally located 12B2‑epitope content. Two cases were unlike classical scrapie but too weak to differentiate between BSE or CH1641. The other 4 cases appeared intermediate between scrapie and CH1641 with a reduced molecular mass and 12B2‑epitope content, together with the characteristic presence of a second PrPres population. The existence of these 2 PrPres populations was further confirmed through deglycosylation by PNGaseF. The findings indicate that discriminatory diagnosis between classical scrapie, CH1641 and BSE can remain inconclusive with current biochemical methods. Whether such intermediate cases represent mixtures of TSE strains should be further investigated e.g. in bioassays with rodent lines that are varying in their susceptibility or other techniques suitable for strain typing.
Collapse
Key Words
- AVG, average
- BSE, bovine spongiform encephalopathy
- CH1641
- IHC, immunohistochemistry
- PK, proteinase K
- PrPC ,prion protein in cellular form
- PrPSc, prion protein in TSE associated form
- PrPres, proteinase K resistant fragment of PrPSc
- SD, standard deviation
- SDS-PAGE, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis
- TE, tissue equivalents
- TSE, transmissible spongiform encephalopathy
- VC, variation coefficient.
- Western blot
- ic., intracerebrally
- ip., intraperitoneally
- prion
- sheep
- triplex-WB, triplex Western blotting method
- typing
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jan P M Langeveld
- a Department of Infection Biology ; Central Veterinary Institute part of Wageningen UR ; Lelystad , The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Kabir ME, Safar JG. Implications of prion adaptation and evolution paradigm for human neurodegenerative diseases. Prion 2015; 8:111-6. [PMID: 24401672 PMCID: PMC7030914 DOI: 10.4161/pri.27661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
There is a growing body of evidence indicating that number of human neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, fronto-temporal dementias, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, propagate in the brain via prion-like intercellular induction of protein misfolding. Prions cause lethal neurodegenerative diseases in humans, the most prevalent being sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD); they self-replicate and spread by converting the cellular form of prion protein (PrPC) to a misfolded pathogenic conformer (PrPSc). The extensive phenotypic heterogeneity of human prion diseases is determined by polymorphisms in the prion protein gene, and by prion strain-specific conformation of PrPSc. Remarkably, even though informative nucleic acid is absent, prions may undergo rapid adaptation and evolution in cloned cells and upon crossing the species barrier. In the course of our investigation of this process, we isolated distinct populations of PrPSc particles that frequently co-exist in sCJD. The human prion particles replicate independently and undergo competitive selection of those with lower initial conformational stability. Exposed to mutant substrate, the winning PrPSc conformers are subject to further evolution by natural selection of the subpopulation with the highest replication rate due to the lowest stability. Thus, the evolution and adaptation of human prions is enabled by a dynamic collection of distinct populations of particles, whose evolution is governed by the selection of progressively less stable, faster replicating PrPSc conformers. This fundamental biological mechanism may explain the drug resistance that some prions gained after exposure to compounds targeting PrPSc. Whether the phenotypic heterogeneity of other neurodegenerative diseases caused by protein misfolding is determined by the spectrum of misfolded conformers (strains) remains to be established. However, the prospect that these conformers may evolve and adapt by a prion-like mechanism calls for the reevaluation of therapeutic strategies that target aggregates of misfolded proteins, and argues for new therapeutic approaches that will focus on prior pathogenetic steps.
Collapse
|
24
|
Diack AB, Head MW, McCutcheon S, Boyle A, Knight R, Ironside JW, Manson JC, Will RG. Variant CJD. 18 years of research and surveillance. Prion 2014; 8:286-95. [PMID: 25495404 PMCID: PMC4601215 DOI: 10.4161/pri.29237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
It is now 18 years since the first identification of a case of vCJD in the UK. Since that time, there has been much speculation over how vCJD might impact human health. To date there have been 177 case reports in the UK and a further 51 cases worldwide in 11 different countries. Since establishing that BSE and vCJD are of the same strain of agent, we have also shown that there is broad similarity between UK and non-UK vCJD cases on first passage to mice. Transgenic mouse studies have indicated that all codon 129 genotypes are susceptible to vCJD and that genotype may influence whether disease appears in a clinical or asymptomatic form, supported by the appearance of the first case of potential asymptomatic vCJD infection in a PRNP 129MV patient. Following evidence of blood transfusion as a route of transmission, we have ascertained that all blood components and leucoreduced blood in a sheep model of vCJD have the ability to transmit disease. Importantly, we recently established that a PRNP 129MV patient blood recipient with an asymptomatic infection and limited PrP(Sc) deposition in the spleen could readily transmit disease into mice, demonstrating the potential for peripheral infection in the absence of clinical disease. This, along with the recent appendix survey which identified 16 positive appendices in a study of 32,441 cases, underlines the importance of continued CJD surveillance and maintaining control measures already in place to protect human health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abigail B Diack
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS; University of Edinburgh; Easter Bush; Midlothian, Scotland, UK,These authors contributed equally to this work.
| | - Mark W Head
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit; School of Clinical Sciences; University of Edinburgh; Western General Hospital; Edinburgh, Scotland, UK,These authors contributed equally to this work.
| | - Sandra McCutcheon
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS; University of Edinburgh; Easter Bush; Midlothian, Scotland, UK
| | - Aileen Boyle
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS; University of Edinburgh; Easter Bush; Midlothian, Scotland, UK
| | - Richard Knight
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit; School of Clinical Sciences; University of Edinburgh; Western General Hospital; Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - James W Ironside
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit; School of Clinical Sciences; University of Edinburgh; Western General Hospital; Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Jean C Manson
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS; University of Edinburgh; Easter Bush; Midlothian, Scotland, UK,These authors contributed equally to this work.,Correspondence to: Jean C Manson;
| | - Robert G Will
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit; School of Clinical Sciences; University of Edinburgh; Western General Hospital; Edinburgh, Scotland, UK,These authors contributed equally to this work.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Peden AH, Sarode DP, Mulholland CR, Barria MA, Ritchie DL, Ironside JW, Head MW. The prion protein protease sensitivity, stability and seeding activity in variably protease sensitive prionopathy brain tissue suggests molecular overlaps with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2014; 2:152. [PMID: 25331173 PMCID: PMC4210614 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-014-0152-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2014] [Accepted: 10/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Variably protease sensitive prionopathy (VPSPr) is a recently described, sporadic human prion disease that is pathologically and biochemically distinct from the currently recognised sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) subtypes. The defining biochemical features of the abnormal form of the prion protein (PrPSc) in VPSPr are increased sensitivity to proteolysis and the presence of an N- and C-terminally cleaved ~8 kDa protease resistant PrPSc (PrPres) fragment. The biochemical and neuropathological profile of VPSPr has been proposed to resemble either Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome (GSS) or familial CJD with the PRNP-V180I mutation. However, in some cases of VPSPr two protease resistant bands have been observed in Western blots that co-migrate with those of type 2 PrPres, suggesting that a proportion of the PrPSc present in VPSPr has properties similar to those of sCJD. RESULTS Here, we have used conformation dependent immunoassay to confirm the presence of PrPSc in VPSPr that is more protease sensitive compared with sCJD. However, CDI also shows that a proportion of PrPSc in VPSPr resists PK digestion of its C-terminus, distinguishing it from GSS associated with ~8 kDa PrPres, and showing similarity to sCJD. Intensive investigation of a single VPSPr case with frozen tissue from multiple brain regions shows a broad, region-specific spectrum of protease sensitivity and differential stability of PrPSc in the absence of PK treatment. Finally, using protein misfolding cyclic amplification and real-time quaking induced conversion, we show that VPSPr PrPSc has the potential to seed conversion in vitro and that seeding activity is dispersed through a broad range of aggregate sizes. We further propose that seeding activity is associated with the ~19 and ~23 kDa PrPres rather than the ~8 kDa fragment. CONCLUSIONS Therefore, PrPSc in VPSPr is heterogeneous in terms of protease sensitivity and stability to denaturation with the chaotrope GdnHCl and includes a proportion with similar properties to that found in sCJD.
Collapse
|
26
|
Torres JM, Castilla J, Pintado B, Gutiérrez-Adan A, Andréoletti O, Aguilar-Calvo P, Arroba AI, Parra-Arrondo B, Ferrer I, Manzanares J, Espinosa JC. Spontaneous generation of infectious prion disease in transgenic mice. Emerg Infect Dis 2014; 19:1938-47. [PMID: 24274622 PMCID: PMC3840888 DOI: 10.3201/eid1912.130106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
We generated transgenic mice expressing bovine cellular prion protein (PrPC) with a leucine substitution at codon 113 (113L). This protein is homologous to human protein with mutation 102L, and its genetic link with Gerstmann–Sträussler–Scheinker syndrome has been established. This mutation in bovine PrPC causes a fully penetrant, lethal, spongiform encephalopathy. This genetic disease was transmitted by intracerebral inoculation of brain homogenate from ill mice expressing mutant bovine PrP to mice expressing wild-type bovine PrP, which indicated de novo generation of infectious prions. Our findings demonstrate that a single amino acid change in the PrPC sequence can induce spontaneous generation of an infectious prion disease that differs from all others identified in hosts expressing the same PrPC sequence. These observations support the view that a variety of infectious prion strains might spontaneously emerge in hosts displaying random genetic PrPC mutations.
Collapse
|
27
|
Haïk S, Brandel JP. Infectious prion diseases in humans: cannibalism, iatrogenicity and zoonoses. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2014; 26:303-12. [PMID: 24956437 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2014.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2014] [Revised: 06/10/2014] [Accepted: 06/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
In contrast with other neurodegenerative disorders associated to protein misfolding, human prion diseases include infectious forms (also called transmitted forms) such as kuru, iatrogenic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. The transmissible agent is thought to be solely composed of the abnormal isoform (PrP(Sc)) of the host-encoded prion protein that accumulated in the central nervous system of affected individuals. Compared to its normal counterpart, PrP(Sc) is β-sheet enriched and aggregated and its propagation is based on an autocatalytic conversion process. Increasing evidence supports the view that conformational variations of PrP(Sc) encoded the biological properties of the various prion strains that have been isolated by transmission studies in experimental models. Infectious forms of human prion diseases played a pivotal role in the emergence of the prion concept and in the characterization of the very unconventional properties of prions. They provide a unique model to understand how prion strains are selected and propagate in humans. Here, we review and discuss how genetic factors interplay with strain properties and route of transmission to influence disease susceptibility, incubation period and phenotypic expression in the light of the kuru epidemics due to ritual endocannibalism, the various series iatrogenic diseases secondary to extractive growth hormone treatment or dura mater graft and the epidemics of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease linked to dietary exposure to the agent of bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane Haïk
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Inserm, U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, ICM, F-75013 Paris, France; AP-HP, Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Cellule Nationale de Référence des Maladies de Creutzfeldt-Jakob, F-75013 Paris, France; Centre National de Référence des Agents Transmissibles Non Conventionnels, F-75013 Paris, France.
| | - Jean-Philippe Brandel
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Inserm, U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, ICM, F-75013 Paris, France; AP-HP, Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Cellule Nationale de Référence des Maladies de Creutzfeldt-Jakob, F-75013 Paris, France; Centre National de Référence des Agents Transmissibles Non Conventionnels, F-75013 Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Elements modulating the prion species barrier and its passage consequences. PLoS One 2014; 9:e89722. [PMID: 24608126 PMCID: PMC3946430 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0089722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2013] [Accepted: 01/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The specific characteristics of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) strains may be altered during passage across a species barrier. In this study we investigated the biochemical and biological characteristics of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) after transmission in both natural host species (cattle, sheep, pigs and mice) and in transgenic mice overexpressing the corresponding cellular prion protein (PrPC) in comparison with other non-BSE related prions from the same species. After these passages, most features of the BSE agent remained unchanged. BSE-derived agents only showed slight modifications in the biochemical properties of the accumulated PrPSc, which were demonstrated to be reversible upon re-inoculation into transgenic mice expressing bovine-PrPC. Transmission experiments in transgenic mice expressing bovine, porcine or human-PrP revealed that all BSE-derived agents were transmitted with no or a weak transmission barrier. In contrast, a high species barrier was observed for the non-BSE related prions that harboured an identical PrP amino acid sequence, supporting the theory that the prion transmission barrier is modulated by strain properties (presumably conformation-dependent) rather than by PrP amino acid sequence differences between host and donor. As identical results were observed with prions propagated either in natural hosts or in transgenic mouse models, we postulate that the species barrier and its passage consequences are uniquely governed by the host PrPC sequence and not influenced by other host genetic factors. The results presented herein reinforce the idea that the BSE agent is highly promiscuous, infecting other species, maintaining its properties in the new species, and even increasing its capabilities to jump to other species including humans. These data are essential for the development of an accurate risk assessment for BSE.
Collapse
|
29
|
Krejciova Z, De Sousa P, Manson J, Ironside JW, Head MW. Human tonsil-derived follicular dendritic-like cells are refractory to human prion infection in vitro and traffic disease-associated prion protein to lysosomes. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2014; 184:64-70. [PMID: 24183781 PMCID: PMC3873479 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2013.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2013] [Revised: 09/12/2013] [Accepted: 09/16/2013] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The molecular mechanisms involved in human cellular susceptibility to prion infection remain poorly defined. This is due, in part, to the absence of any well characterized and relevant cultured human cells susceptible to infection with human prions, such as those involved in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. In variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, prion replication is thought to occur first in the lymphoreticular system and then spread into the brain. We have, therefore, examined the susceptibility of a human tonsil-derived follicular dendritic cell-like cell line (HK) to prion infection. HK cells were found to display a readily detectable, time-dependent increase in cell-associated abnormal prion protein (PrP(TSE)) when exposed to medium spiked with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease brain homogenate, resulting in a coarse granular perinuclear PrP(TSE) staining pattern. Despite their high level of cellular prion protein expression, HK cells failed to support infection, as judged by longer term maintenance of PrP(TSE) accumulation. Colocalization studies revealed that exposure of HK cells to brain homogenate resulted in increased numbers of detectable lysosomes and that these structures immunostained intensely for PrP(TSE) after exposure to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease brain homogenate. Our data suggest that human follicular dendritic-like cells and perhaps other human cell types are able to avoid prion infection by efficient lysosomal degradation of PrP(TSE).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zuzana Krejciova
- National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Research & Surveillance Unit, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Paul De Sousa
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jean Manson
- Neurobiology Division, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, United Kingdom
| | - James W Ironside
- National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Research & Surveillance Unit, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Mark W Head
- National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Research & Surveillance Unit, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Kobayashi A, Iwasaki Y, Otsuka H, Yamada M, Yoshida M, Matsuura Y, Mohri S, Kitamoto T. Deciphering the pathogenesis of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease with codon 129 M/V and type 2 abnormal prion protein. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2013; 1:74. [PMID: 24252157 PMCID: PMC3833290 DOI: 10.1186/2051-5960-1-74] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2013] [Accepted: 11/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is classified according to the genotype at polymorphic codon 129 (M or V) of the prion protein (PrP) gene and the type (1 or 2) of abnormal isoform of PrP (PrPSc) in the brain. The most complicated entity in the current classification system is MV2, since it shows wide phenotypic variations, i.e., MV2 cortical form (MV2C), MV2 with kuru plaques (MV2K), or a mixed form (MV2K + C). To resolve their complicated pathogenesis, we performed a comprehensive analysis of the three MV2 subgroups based on histopathological, molecular, and transmission properties. Results In histopathological and molecular analyses, MV2C showed close similarity to MM2 cortical form (MM2C) and could be easily discriminated from the other MV2 subgroups. By contrast, MV2K and MV2K + C showed the same molecular type and the same transmission type, and the sole difference between MV2K and MV2K + C was the presence of cortical pathology characteristic of MV2C/MM2C. The remarkable molecular feature of MV2K or MV2K + C was a mixture of type 2 PrPSc and intermediate type PrPSc, which shows intermediate electrophoretic mobility between types 1 and 2 PrPSc. Modeling experiments using PrP-humanized mice indicated that MV2K contains a mixture of intermediate type PrPSc with the 129M genotype (Mi PrPSc) and type 2 PrPSc with the 129V genotype (V2 PrPSc) that originated from V2 PrPSc, whereas MV2C + K may also contain type 2 PrPSc with the 129M genotype and cortical pathology (M2C PrPSc) that lacks infectivity to the PrP-humanized mice in addition to Mi and V2 PrPSc. Conclusions Taken together, the present study suggests that the phenotypic heterogeneity of MV2 stems from their different PrPSc origin(s).
Collapse
|
31
|
Kovacs GG, Peden A, Weis S, Höftberger R, Berghoff AS, Yull H, Ströbel T, Koppi S, Katzenschlager R, Langenscheidt D, Assar H, Zaruba E, Gröner A, Voigtländer T, Puska G, Hametner E, Grams A, Muigg A, Knoflach M, László L, Ironside JW, Head MW, Budka H. Rapidly progressive dementia with thalamic degeneration and peculiar cortical prion protein immunoreactivity, but absence of proteinase K resistant PrP: a new disease entity? Acta Neuropathol Commun 2013; 1:72. [PMID: 24252716 PMCID: PMC3835463 DOI: 10.1186/2051-5960-1-72] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2013] [Accepted: 11/01/2013] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Human prion diseases are a group of rare fatal neurodegenerative conditions with well-developed clinical and neuropathological diagnostic criteria. Recent observations have expanded the spectrum of prion diseases beyond the classically recognized forms. Results In the present study we report six patients with a novel, apparently sporadic disease characterised by thalamic degeneration and rapidly progressive dementia (duration of illness 2–12 months; age at death: 55–81 years). Light and electron microscopic immunostaining for the prion protein (PrP) revealed a peculiar intraneuritic distribution in neocortical regions. Proteinase K resistant PrP (PrPres) was undetectable by Western blotting in frontal cortex from the three cases with frozen tissue, even after enrichment for PrPres by centrifugation or by phosphotungstic acid precipitation. Conformation-dependent immunoassay analysis using a range of PK digestion conditions (and no PK digestion) produced only very limited evidence of meaningful D-N (denatured/native) values, indicative of the presence of disease-associated PrP (PrPSc) in these cases, when the results were compared with appropriate negative control groups. Conclusions Our observation expands the spectrum of conditions associated with rapidly progressive dementia and may have implications for the understanding of the pathogenesis of prion diseases.
Collapse
|
32
|
Holznagel E, Yutzy B, Schulz-Schaeffer W, Kruip C, Hahmann U, Bierke P, Torres JM, Kim YS, Thomzig A, Beekes M, Hunsmann G, Loewer J. Foodborne transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy to nonhuman primates. Emerg Infect Dis 2013; 19:712-20. [PMID: 23647575 PMCID: PMC3647490 DOI: 10.3201/eid1905.120274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Risk for human exposure to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)–inducing agent was estimated in a nonhuman primate model. To determine attack rates, incubation times, and molecular signatures, we orally exposed 18 macaques to 1 high dose of brain material from cattle with BSE. Several macaques were euthanized at regular intervals starting at 1 year postinoculation, and others were observed until clinical signs developed. Among those who received ≥5 g BSE-inducing agent, attack rates were 100% and prions could be detected in peripheral tissues from 1 year postinoculation onward. The overall median incubation time was 4.6 years (3.7–5.3). However, for 3 macaques orally exposed on multiple occasions, incubation periods were at least 7–10 years. Before clinical signs were noted, we detected a non-type 2B signature, indicating the existence of atypical prion protein during the incubation period. This finding could affect diagnosis of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans and might be relevant for retrospective studies of positive tonsillectomy or appendectomy specimens because time of infection is unknown.
Collapse
|
33
|
Haldiman T, Kim C, Cohen Y, Chen W, Blevins J, Qing L, Cohen ML, Langeveld J, Telling GC, Kong Q, Safar JG. Co-existence of distinct prion types enables conformational evolution of human PrPSc by competitive selection. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:29846-61. [PMID: 23974118 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.500108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The unique phenotypic characteristics of mammalian prions are thought to be encoded in the conformation of pathogenic prion proteins (PrP(Sc)). The molecular mechanism responsible for the adaptation, mutation, and evolution of prions observed in cloned cells and upon crossing the species barrier remains unsolved. Using biophysical techniques and conformation-dependent immunoassays in tandem, we isolated two distinct populations of PrP(Sc) particles with different conformational stabilities and aggregate sizes, which frequently co-exist in the most common human prion disease, sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. The protein misfolding cyclic amplification replicates each of the PrP(Sc) particle types independently and leads to the competitive selection of those with lower initial conformational stability. In serial propagation with a nonglycosylated mutant PrP(C) substrate, the dominant PrP(Sc) conformers are subject to further evolution by natural selection of the subpopulation with the highest replication rate due to its lowest stability. Cumulatively, the data show that sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease PrP(Sc) is not a single conformational entity but a dynamic collection of two distinct populations of particles. This implies the co-existence of different prions, whose adaptation and evolution are governed by the selection of progressively less stable, faster replicating PrP(Sc) conformers.
Collapse
|
34
|
Kuczius T, Groschup MH. Cellular prion proteins in humans and cattle but not sheep are characterized by a low-solubility phenotype. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2013; 36:599-605. [PMID: 23948376 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2013.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2012] [Revised: 07/17/2013] [Accepted: 07/19/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
A feature of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies is the accumulation of infectious prion proteins (PrP(Sc)), which are formed by the conversion of physiological prion proteins (PrP(C)). As PrP(C), which is modified posttranslationally with various types of glycoproteins, serves as the substrates for PrP(Sc) conversion, various PrP(C) subtypes may play a role in the formation of PrP(Sc) and species-specific transmission; the cattle disease BSE is transmissible naturally to humans, but the sheep disease scrapie is not. To reveal new mechanisms modulating prion conversion, we analyzed the PrP(C) profiles by determining the differential PrP(C) protein solubilities in the anionic and nonionic detergents N-lauroylsarcosine, N-octyl-β-D-glucopyranoside, CHAPS and deoxycholic acid. We compared the resulting solubility profiles of human PrP(C) with the solubility profiles of PrP(C) from sheep and cattle. The PrP(C) subtypes were differentially soluble. However, non-glycosylated PrP(C) from cattle and human was found explicitly in the insoluble fraction, while non-glycosylated ovine PrP(C) was detected in the soluble fraction. These findings indicate the existence of low-solubility PrP(C) phenotypes in cattle and humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thorsten Kuczius
- Institute for Hygiene, Westfälische Wilhelms-University and University Hospital Münster, Robert Koch-Strasse 41, 48149 Münster, Germany.
| | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
A specific population of abnormal prion protein aggregates is preferentially taken up by cells and disaggregated in a strain-dependent manner. J Virol 2013; 87:11552-61. [PMID: 23966386 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01484-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are characterized by the conversion of the soluble protease-sensitive host-encoded prion protein (PrP(C)) into its aggregated, protease-resistant, and infectious isoform (PrP(Sc)). One of the earliest events occurring in cells following exposure to an exogenous source of prions is the cellular uptake of PrP(Sc). It is unclear how the biochemical properties of PrP(Sc) influence its uptake, although aggregate size is thought to be important. Here we show that for two different strains of mouse prions, one that infects cells (22L) and one that does not (87V), a fraction of PrP(Sc) associated with distinct sedimentation properties is preferentially taken up by the cells. However, while the fraction of PrP(Sc) and the kinetics of uptake were similar for both strains, PrP(Sc) derived from the 87V strain was disaggregated more rapidly than that derived from 22L. The increased rate of PrP(Sc) disaggregation did not correlate with either the conformational or aggregate stability of 87V PrP(Sc), both of which were greater than those of 22L PrP(Sc). Our data suggest that the kinetics of disaggregation of PrP(Sc) following cellular uptake is independent of PrP(Sc) stability but may be dependent upon some component of the PrP(Sc) aggregate other than PrP. Rapid disaggregation of 87V PrP(Sc) by the cell may contribute, at least in part, to the inability of 87V to infect cells in vitro.
Collapse
|
36
|
Pirisinu L, Nonno R, Esposito E, Benestad SL, Gambetti P, Agrimi U, Zou WQ. Small ruminant nor98 prions share biochemical features with human gerstmann-sträussler-scheinker disease and variably protease-sensitive prionopathy. PLoS One 2013; 8:e66405. [PMID: 23826096 PMCID: PMC3691246 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0066405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2013] [Accepted: 05/06/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are classically characterized by the accumulation of pathological prion protein (PrPSc) with the protease resistant C-terminal fragment (PrPres) of 27–30 kDa. However, in both humans and animals, prion diseases with atypical biochemical features, characterized by PK-resistant PrP internal fragments (PrPres) cleaved at both the N and C termini, have been described. In this study we performed a detailed comparison of the biochemical features of PrPSc from atypical prion diseases including human Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease (GSS) and variably protease-sensitive prionopathy (VPSPr) and in small ruminant Nor98 or atypical scrapie. The kinetics of PrPres production and its cleavage sites after PK digestion were analyzed, along with the PrPSc conformational stability, using a new method able to characterize both protease-resistant and protease-sensitive PrPSc components. All these PrPSc types shared common and distinctive biochemical features compared to PrPSc from classical prion diseases such as sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and scrapie. Notwithstanding, distinct biochemical signatures based on PrPres cleavage sites and PrPSc conformational stability were identified in GSS A117V, GSS F198S, GSS P102L and VPSPr, which allowed their specific identification. Importantly, the biochemical properties of PrPSc from Nor98 and GSS P102L largely overlapped, but were distinct from the other human prions investigated. Finally, our study paves the way towards more refined comparative approaches to the characterization of prions at the animal–human interface.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Pirisinu
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
- * E-mail: (LP); (WQZ)
| | - Romolo Nonno
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Elena Esposito
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Pierluigi Gambetti
- Department of Pathology, National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Umberto Agrimi
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Wen-Quan Zou
- Department of Pathology, National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
- * E-mail: (LP); (WQZ)
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Head MW, Yull HM, Ritchie DL, Langeveld JP, Fletcher NA, Knight RS, Ironside JW. Variably protease-sensitive prionopathy in the UK: a retrospective review 1991-2008. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 136:1102-15. [PMID: 23550113 DOI: 10.1093/brain/aws366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Variably protease-sensitive prionopathy is a newly described human prion disease of unknown aetiology lying out with the hitherto recognized phenotypic spectrum of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Two cases that conform to the variably protease-sensitive prionopathy phenotype have been identified prospectively in the U.K. since the first description of the condition in 2008 in the U.S.A. To determine the incidence and phenotype of variably protease-sensitive prionopathy within a single well-defined cohort, we have conducted a retrospective review of patients referred to the National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Research & Surveillance Unit during the period 1991-2008. The approach taken was to screen frozen brain tissue by western blotting for the form of protease-resistant prion protein that characterizes variably protease-sensitive prionopathy, followed by neuropathological and clinical review of candidate cases. Cases diagnosed as sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease with atypical neuropathology were also reviewed. Four hundred and sixty-five cases were screened biochemically, yielding four candidate cases of variably protease-sensitive prionopathy. One was discounted on pathological and clinical grounds, and one was a known case of variably protease-sensitive prionopathy previously reported, leaving two new cases, which were confirmed biochemically and neuropathologically as variably protease-sensitive prionopathy. A third new case that lacked frozen tissue was recognized retrospectively on neuropathological grounds alone. This means that five cases of variably protease-sensitive prionopathy have been identified (prospectively and retrospectively) during the surveillance period 1991-2011 in the U.K. Assuming ascertainment levels equivalent to that of other human prion diseases, these data indicate that variably protease-sensitive prionopathy is a rare phenotype within human prion diseases, which are themselves rare. Biochemical investigation indicates that the abnormal protease-resistant prion protein fragment that characterizes variably protease-sensitive prionopathy is detectable at low levels in some cases of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and conversely, that the form of abnormal prion protein that characterizes sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease can be found in certain brain regions of cases of variably protease-sensitive prionopathy, indicating molecular overlaps between these two disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark W Head
- National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Research & Surveillance Unit, Bryan Matthews Building, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
38
|
Kuczius T, Groschup MH. Regional phenotypes of cellular prion proteins in human brains identified by differential detergent solubility. Brain Res 2013; 1507:19-27. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2013.02.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2012] [Revised: 02/04/2013] [Accepted: 02/19/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
|
39
|
Dissociation between transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) infectivity and proteinase K-resistant PrP(Sc) levels in peripheral tissue from a murine transgenic model of TSE disease. J Virol 2013; 87:5895-903. [PMID: 23487470 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.03469-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Most current diagnostic tests for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) rely on the presence of proteinase K (PK)-resistant PrP(Sc) (PrP-res) in postmortem tissues as an indication of TSE disease. However, a number of studies have highlighted a discrepancy between TSE infectivity and PrP-res levels in both natural and experimental cases of TSE disease. Previously, we have shown high TSE infectivity levels in the brain tissue of mice that have a clinical TSE disease with associated vacuolar pathology but little or no detectable PrP-res. Here, the levels of TSE infectivity and PrP-res within a peripheral tissue of this mouse model were investigated. Biochemical analysis showed that low levels of PrP-res were present in the spleen tissue in comparison to the levels observed in the spleen of mice infected with ME7 or 79A. However, upon subpassage of brain and spleen tissue from clinically ill mice with little or no PrP-res detectable, similar short incubation periods to disease were observed, indicating that infectivity levels were similarly high in both tissues. Thus, the discrepancy between PrP-res and TSE infectivity was also present in the peripheral tissues of this disease model. This result indicates that peripheral tissues can contain higher levels of infectivity given the correct combination of host species, PrP genotype, and TSE agent. Therefore, the assumption that the levels of peripheral infectivity are lower than those in the central nervous system is not always correct, and this could have implications for current food safety regulations.
Collapse
|
40
|
Solforosi L, Milani M, Mancini N, Clementi M, Burioni R. A closer look at prion strains: characterization and important implications. Prion 2013; 7:99-108. [PMID: 23357828 PMCID: PMC3609129 DOI: 10.4161/pri.23490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Prions are infectious proteins that are responsible for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) and consist primarily of scrapie prion protein (PrPSc), a pathogenic isoform of the host-encoded cellular prion protein (PrPC). The absence of nucleic acids as essential components of the infectious prions is the most striking feature associated to these diseases. Additionally, different prion strains have been isolated from animal diseases despite the lack of DNA or RNA molecules. Mounting evidence suggests that prion-strain-specific features segregate with different PrPSc conformational and aggregation states.
Strains are of practical relevance in prion diseases as they can drastically differ in many aspects, such as incubation period, PrPSc biochemical profile (e.g., electrophoretic mobility and glycoform ratio) and distribution of brain lesions. Importantly, such different features are maintained after inoculation of a prion strain into genetically identical hosts and are relatively stable across serial passages.
This review focuses on the characterization of prion strains and on the wide range of important implications that the study of prion strains involves.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Solforosi
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Virology; University Vita-Salute San Raffaele; Milan, Italy.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Head MW. Human prion diseases: Molecular, cellular and population biology. Neuropathology 2013; 33:221-36. [DOI: 10.1111/neup.12016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2012] [Accepted: 12/17/2012] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mark W. Head
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit; Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences; School of Clinical Sciences; The University of Edinburgh; Edinburgh; UK
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Head MW, Ironside JW. Review: Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: prion protein type, disease phenotype and agent strain. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2012; 38:296-310. [PMID: 22394291 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2990.2012.01265.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The human transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or human prion diseases are one of the most intensively investigated groups of rare human neurodegenerative conditions. They are generally held to be unique in terms of their complex epidemiology and phenotypic variability, but they may also serve as a paradigm with which other more common protein misfolding disorders might be compared and contrasted. The clinico-pathological phenotype of human prion diseases appears to depend on a complex interaction between the prion protein genotype of the affected individual and the physico-chemical properties of the neurotoxic and transmissible agent, thought to comprise of misfolded prion protein. A major focus of research in recent years has been to define the phenotypic heterogeneity of the recognized human prion diseases, correlate this with molecular-genetic features and then determine whether this molecular-genetic classification of human prion disease defines the biological properties of the agent as determined by animal transmission studies. This review seeks to survey the field as it currently stands, summarize what has been learned, and explore what remains to be investigated in order to obtain a more complete scientific understanding of prion diseases and to protect public health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M W Head
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit, School of Molecular & Clinical Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
Piccardo P, Cervenak J, Yakovleva O, Gregori L, Pomeroy K, Cook A, Muhammad FS, Seuberlich T, Cervenakova L, Asher DM. Squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) infected with the agent of bovine spongiform encephalopathy develop tau pathology. J Comp Pathol 2012; 147:84-93. [PMID: 22018806 PMCID: PMC3288625 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcpa.2011.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2011] [Revised: 09/02/2011] [Accepted: 09/08/2011] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) were infected experimentally with the agent of classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Two to four years later, six of the monkeys developed alterations in interactive behaviour and cognition and other neurological signs typical of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE). At necropsy examination, the brains from all of the monkeys showed pathological changes similar to those described in variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) of man, except that the squirrel monkey brains contained no PrP-amyloid plaques typical of that disease. Constant neuropathological features included spongiform degeneration, gliosis, deposition of abnormal prion protein (PrP(TSE)) and many deposits of abnormally phosphorylated tau protein (p-Tau) in several areas of the cerebrum and cerebellum. Western blots showed large amounts of proteinase K-resistant prion protein in the central nervous system. The striking absence of PrP plaques (prominent in brains of cynomolgus macaques [Macaca fascicularis] with experimentally-induced BSE and vCJD and in human patients with vCJD) reinforces the conclusion that the host plays a major role in determining the neuropathology of TSEs. Results of this study suggest that p-Tau, found in the brains of all BSE-infected monkeys, might play a role in the pathogenesis of TSEs. Whether p-Tau contributes to development of disease or appears as a secondary change late in the course of illness remains to be determined.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- P Piccardo
- Laboratory of Bacterial and TSE Agents, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Rockville, MD, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Jansen C, Parchi P, Capellari S, Ibrahim-Verbaas CA, Schuur M, Strammiello R, Corrado P, Bishop MT, van Gool WA, Verbeek MM, Baas F, van Saane W, Spliet WGM, Jansen GH, van Duijn CM, Rozemuller AJM. Human prion diseases in the Netherlands (1998-2009): clinical, genetic and molecular aspects. PLoS One 2012; 7:e36333. [PMID: 22558438 PMCID: PMC3340342 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0036333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2011] [Accepted: 04/01/2012] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are rare and fatal neurodegenerative disorders that can be sporadic, inherited or acquired by infection. Based on a national surveillance program in the Netherlands we describe here the clinical, neuropathological, genetic and molecular characteristics of 162 patients with neuropathologically confirmed prion disease over a 12-year period (1998–2009). Since 1998, there has been a relatively stable mortality of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in the Netherlands, ranging from 0.63 to 1.53 per million inhabitants per annum. Genetic analysis of the codon 129 methionine/valine (M/V) polymorphism in all patients with sporadic CJD (sCJD) showed a trend for under-representation of VV cases (7.0%), compared with sCJD cohorts in other Western countries, whereas the MV genotype was relatively over-represented (22,4%). Combined PrPSc and histopathological typing identified all sCJD subtypes known to date, except for the VV1 subtype. In particular, a “pure" phenotype was demonstrated in 60.1% of patients, whereas a mixed phenotype was detected in 39.9% of all sCJD cases. The relative excess of MV cases was largely accounted for by a relatively high incidence of the MV 2K subtype. Genetic analysis of the prion protein gene (PRNP) was performed in 161 patients and showed a mutation in 9 of them (5.6%), including one FFI and four GSS cases. Iatrogenic CJD was a rare phenomenon (3.1%), mainly associated with dura mater grafts. Three patients were diagnosed with new variant CJD (1.9%) and one with variably protease-sensitive prionopathy (VPSPr). Post-mortem examination revealed an alternative diagnosis in 156 patients, most commonly Alzheimer's disease (21.2%) or vascular causes of dementia (19.9%). The mortality rates of sCJD in the Netherlands are similar to those in other European countries, whereas iatrogenic and genetic cases are relatively rare. The unusual incidence of the VV2 sCJD subtype compared to that reported to date in other Western countries deserves further investigation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Casper Jansen
- Dutch Surveillance Centre for Prion Diseases, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
45
|
Torres JM, Andréoletti O, Lacroux C, Prieto I, Lorenzo P, Larska M, Baron T, Espinosa JC. Classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy by transmission of H-type prion in homologous prion protein context. Emerg Infect Dis 2012; 17:1636-44. [PMID: 21888788 PMCID: PMC3322056 DOI: 10.3201/eid1709.101403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
TOC Summary: An epidemic agent could have originated from such a cattle prion. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and BSE-related disorders have been associated with a single major prion strain. Recently, 2 atypical, presumably sporadic forms of BSE have been associated with 2 distinct prion strains that are characterized mainly by distinct Western blot profiles of abnormal protease-resistant prion protein (PrPres), named high-type (BSE-H) and low-type (BSE-L), that also differed from classical BSE. We characterized 5 atypical BSE-H isolates by analyzing their molecular and neuropathologic properties during transmission in transgenic mice expressing homologous bovine prion protein. Unexpectedly, in several inoculated animals, strain features emerged that were highly similar to those of classical BSE agent. These findings demonstrate the capability of an atypical bovine prion to acquire classical BSE–like properties during propagation in a homologous bovine prion protein context and support the view that the epidemic BSE agent could have originated from such a cattle prion.
Collapse
|
46
|
Moda F, Suardi S, Di Fede G, Indaco A, Limido L, Vimercati C, Ruggerone M, Campagnani I, Langeveld J, Terruzzi A, Brambilla A, Zerbi P, Fociani P, Bishop MT, Will RG, Manson JC, Giaccone G, Tagliavini F. MM2-thalamic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: neuropathological, biochemical and transmission studies identify a distinctive prion strain. Brain Pathol 2012; 22:662-9. [PMID: 22288561 PMCID: PMC8057639 DOI: 10.1111/j.1750-3639.2012.00572.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
In Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), molecular typing based on the size of the protease resistant core of the disease-associated prion protein (PrP(Sc) ) and the M/V polymorphism at codon 129 of the PRNP gene correlates with the clinico-pathologic subtypes. Approximately 95% of the sporadic 129MM CJD patients are characterized by cerebral deposition of type 1 PrP(Sc) and correspond to the classic clinical CJD phenotype. The rare 129MM CJD patients with type 2 PrP(Sc) are further subdivided in a cortical and a thalamic form also indicated as sporadic fatal insomnia. We observed two young patients with MM2-thalamic CJD. Main neuropathological features were diffuse, synaptic PrP immunoreactivity in the cerebral cortex and severe neuronal loss and gliosis in the thalamus and olivary nucleus. Western blot analysis showed the presence of type 2A PrP(Sc) . Challenge of transgenic mice expressing 129MM human PrP showed that MM2-thalamic sporadic CJD (sCJD) was able to transmit the disease, at variance with MM2-cortical sCJD. The affected mice showed deposition of type 2A PrP(Sc) , a scenario that is unprecedented in this mouse line. These data indicate that MM2-thalamic sCJD is caused by a prion strain distinct from the other sCJD subtypes including the MM2-cortical form.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Moda
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Suardi
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Antonio Indaco
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Lucia Limido
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Jan Langeveld
- Central Veterinary Institute, Wageningen UR, Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Pietro Zerbi
- Ospedale Luigi Sacco, Università di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Fociani
- Ospedale Luigi Sacco, Università di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Matthew T. Bishop
- National Creutzfeldt‐Jakob Disease Surveillance Unit, Western General Hospital, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Robert G. Will
- National Creutzfeldt‐Jakob Disease Surveillance Unit, Western General Hospital, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jean C. Manson
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
Peden AH, McGuire LI, Appleford NEJ, Mallinson G, Wilham JM, Orrú CD, Caughey B, Ironside JW, Knight RS, Will RG, Green AJE, Head MW. Sensitive and specific detection of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease brain prion protein using real-time quaking-induced conversion. J Gen Virol 2011; 93:438-449. [PMID: 22031526 DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.033365-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) is an assay in which disease-associated prion protein (PrP) initiates a rapid conformational transition in recombinant PrP (recPrP), resulting in the formation of amyloid that can be monitored in real time using the dye thioflavin T. It therefore has potential advantages over analogous cell-free PrP conversion assays such as protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA). The QuIC assay and the related amyloid seeding assay have been developed largely using rodent-passaged sheep scrapie strains. Given the potential RT-QuIC has for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) research and human prion test development, this study characterized the behaviour of a range of CJD brain specimens with hamster and human recPrP in the RT-QuIC assay. The results showed that RT-QuIC is a rapid, sensitive and specific test for the form of abnormal PrP found in the most commonly occurring forms of sporadic CJD. The assay appeared to be largely independent of species-related sequence differences between human and hamster recPrP and of the methionine/valine polymorphism at codon 129 of the human PrP gene. However, with the same conditions and substrate, the assay was less efficient in detecting the abnormal PrP that characterizes variant CJD brain. Comparison of these QuIC results with those previously obtained using PMCA suggested that these two seemingly similar assays differ in important respects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander H Peden
- National CJD Research and Surveillance Unit, School of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Lynne I McGuire
- National CJD Research and Surveillance Unit, School of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Nigel E J Appleford
- Bristol Institute for Transfusion Sciences, National Blood Service, Bristol, UK
| | - Gary Mallinson
- Bristol Institute for Transfusion Sciences, National Blood Service, Bristol, UK
| | - Jason M Wilham
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Christina D Orrú
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Byron Caughey
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - James W Ironside
- National CJD Research and Surveillance Unit, School of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Richard S Knight
- National CJD Research and Surveillance Unit, School of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Robert G Will
- National CJD Research and Surveillance Unit, School of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Alison J E Green
- National CJD Research and Surveillance Unit, School of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Mark W Head
- National CJD Research and Surveillance Unit, School of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Beck KE, Sallis RE, Lockey R, Vickery CM, Béringue V, Laude H, Holder TM, Thorne L, Terry LA, Tout AC, Jayasena D, Griffiths PC, Cawthraw S, Ellis R, Balkema-Buschmann A, Groschup MH, Simmons MM, Spiropoulos J. Use of murine bioassay to resolve ovine transmissible spongiform encephalopathy cases showing a bovine spongiform encephalopathy molecular profile. Brain Pathol 2011; 22:265-79. [PMID: 21919992 PMCID: PMC3505794 DOI: 10.1111/j.1750-3639.2011.00526.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Two cases of unusual transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) were diagnosed on the same farm in ARQ/ARQ PrP sheep showing attributes of both bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and scrapie. These cases, UK-1 and UK-2, were investigated further by transmissions to wild-type and ovine transgenic mice. Lesion profiles (LP) on primary isolation and subpassage, incubation period (IP) of disease, PrP(Sc) immunohistochemical (IHC) deposition pattern and Western blot profiles were used to characterize the prions causing disease in these sheep. Results showed that both cases were compatible with scrapie. The presence of BSE was contraindicated by the following: LP on primary isolation in RIII and/or MR (modified RIII) mice; IP and LP after serial passage in wild-type mice; PrP(Sc) deposition pattern in wild-type mice; and IP and Western blot data in transgenic mice. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry (IHC) revealed that each case generated two distinct PrP(Sc) deposition patterns in both wild-type and transgenic mice, suggesting that two scrapie strains coexisted in the ovine hosts. Critically, these data confirmed the original differential IHC categorization that these UK-1 and UK-2 cases were not compatible with BSE.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katy E Beck
- Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Addlestone, Surrey, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
49
|
Haïk S, Brandel JP. Biochemical and strain properties of CJD prions: complexity versus simplicity. J Neurochem 2011; 119:251-61. [PMID: 21790605 DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2011.07399.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Prions, the agents responsible for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, are infectious proteins consisting primarily of scrapie prion protein (PrP(Sc)), a misfolded, β-sheet enriched and aggregated form of the host-encoded cellular prion protein (PrP(C)). Their propagation is based on an autocatalytic PrP conversion process. Despite the lack of a nucleic acid genome, different prion strains have been isolated from animal diseases. Increasing evidence supports the view that strain-specific properties may be enciphered within conformational variations of PrP(Sc). In humans, sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) is the most frequent form of prion diseases and has demonstrated a wide phenotypic and molecular spectrum. In contrast, variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), which results from oral exposure to the agent of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, is a highly stereotyped disease, that, until now, has only occurred in patients who are methionine homozygous at codon 129 of the PrP gene. Recent research has provided consistent evidence of strain diversity in sCJD and also, unexpectedly enough, in vCJD. Here, we discuss the puzzling biochemical/pathological diversity of human prion disorders and the relationship of that diversity to the biological properties of the agent as demonstrated by strain typing in experimental models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane Haïk
- Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, Centre de Recherche de l'Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Epinière (CRICM), UMRS 975, Equipe "Alzheimer's and Prion Diseases", Paris, France.
| | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
Kuczius T, Kleinert J, Karch H, Sibrowski W, Kelsch R. Cellular prion proteins in human platelets show a phenotype different to those in brain tissues. J Cell Biochem 2011; 112:954-62. [PMID: 21328470 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.23012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases are characterized by high accumulation of infectious prion proteins (PrP(Sc)) in brains. PrP(Sc) are propagated by the conversion of host-encoded cellular prion proteins (PrP(C)) which are essential for developing the disease but are heterogeneously expressed in brains. The disease can be transmitted to humans and animals through blood and blood products, however, little attention has been given to molecular characterization of PrP(C) in blood cells. In this presented study, we characterized phenotypically PrP(C) of platelets (plt) and characterized the proteins regarding their glycobanding profiles by quantitative immunoblotting using a panel of monoclonal antibodies. The glycosylation patterns of plt and brain PrP(C) were compared using the ratios of di-, mono-, and non-glycosylated prions. The detergent solubility of plt and brain PrP(C) was also analyzed. The distinct banding patterns and detergent solubility of plt PrP(C) differed clearly from the glycosylation profiles and solubility characteristics of brain PrP(C). Plt PrP(C) exhibited single or only few prion protein types, whereas brain PrP(C) showed more extensive banding patterns and lower detergent solubility. Plt PrP(C) are post-translational modified differently from PrP(C) in brain. These findings suggest other or less physiological functions of plt PrP(C) than in brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thorsten Kuczius
- Institute for Hygiene, Westfälische Wilhelms-University and University Hospital Münster, Robert Koch-Strasse 41, 48149 Münster, Germany.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|