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Li X, Chen Y, Zhang L, Zhang W, Li B, Baizabal-Carvallo JF, Song X. IgLON5 autoimmunity in a patient with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: case report and review of literature. Front Neurol 2024; 15:1367361. [PMID: 38572492 PMCID: PMC10989518 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1367361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective We present the case of a patient with clinical and imaging features of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) and positive IgLON5 antibodies (Abs) in the serum and CSF. Case report A 66-year-old Chinese man presented to the hospital with a stroke-like episode, followed by rapidly progressive cognitive decline, mutism, and parkinsonism. The MRI results showed a cortical ribboning sign in diffusion-weighted MRI, periodic triphasic waves with a slow background in EEG, and positive protein 14-3-3 in CSF. There were matching IgLON5 Abs in the serum and CSF. A literature review showed positive autoimmune encephalitis Abs or autoimmune inflammatory disease between 0.5 and 8.6% among patients with clinical suspicion of CJD, most commonly anti-voltage-gated potassium channel (VGKC) complex and anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) Abs; however, IgLON5 autoimmunity in CJD has been rarely reported. This is an intriguing association as both conditions have been associated with brain deposits of phosphorylated tau protein. Conclusion IgLON5 Abs may be observed in patients with a diagnosis of CJD; it is unknown whether a synergistic effect of IgLON5 Abs with CJD exists, increasing neurodegenerative changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofeng Li
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yimin Chen
- Department of Neurology, Foshan Sanshui District People’s Hospital, Foshan, Guangdong, China
| | - Le Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bin Li
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | | | - Xingwang Song
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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2
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Zhouravleva GA, Bondarev SA, Trubitsina NP. How Big Is the Yeast Prion Universe? Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11651. [PMID: 37511408 PMCID: PMC10380529 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The number of yeast prions and prion-like proteins described since 1994 has grown from two to nearly twenty. If in the early years most scientists working with the classic mammalian prion, PrPSc, were skeptical about the possibility of using the term prion to refer to yeast cytoplasmic elements with unusual properties, it is now clear that prion-like phenomena are widespread and that yeast can serve as a convenient model for studying them. Here we give a brief overview of the yeast prions discovered so far and focus our attention to the various approaches used to identify them. The prospects for the discovery of new yeast prions are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galina A Zhouravleva
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, St. Petersburg State University, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
- Laboratory of Amyloid Biology, St. Petersburg State University, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Stanislav A Bondarev
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, St. Petersburg State University, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
- Laboratory of Amyloid Biology, St. Petersburg State University, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Nina P Trubitsina
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, St. Petersburg State University, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
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Manka SW, Wenborn A, Betts J, Joiner S, Saibil HR, Collinge J, Wadsworth JDF. A structural basis for prion strain diversity. Nat Chem Biol 2023; 19:607-613. [PMID: 36646960 PMCID: PMC10154210 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-022-01229-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Recent cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) studies of infectious, ex vivo, prion fibrils from hamster 263K and mouse RML prion strains revealed a similar, parallel in-register intermolecular β-sheet (PIRIBS) amyloid architecture. Rungs of the fibrils are composed of individual prion protein (PrP) monomers that fold to create distinct N-terminal and C-terminal lobes. However, disparity in the hamster/mouse PrP sequence precludes understanding of how divergent prion strains emerge from an identical PrP substrate. In this study, we determined the near-atomic resolution cryo-EM structure of infectious, ex vivo mouse prion fibrils from the ME7 prion strain and compared this with the RML fibril structure. This structural comparison of two biologically distinct mouse-adapted prion strains suggests defined folding subdomains of PrP rungs and the way in which they are interrelated, providing a structural definition of intra-species prion strain-specific conformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szymon W Manka
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK
| | - Adam Wenborn
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jemma Betts
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK
| | - Susan Joiner
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK
| | - Helen R Saibil
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, UK.
| | - John Collinge
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Jonathan D F Wadsworth
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK.
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Zhuang J, Tian J, Xiong X, Li T, Chen Z, Chen R, Chen J, Li X. Associating brain imaging phenotypes and genetic risk factors via a hypergraph based netNMF method. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1052783. [PMID: 36936501 PMCID: PMC10017840 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1052783] [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: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a severe neurodegenerative disease for which there is currently no effective treatment. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an early disease that may progress to AD. The effective diagnosis of AD and MCI in the early stage has important clinical significance. Methods To this end, this paper proposed a hypergraph-based netNMF (HG-netNMF) algorithm for integrating structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) of AD and MCI with corresponding gene expression profiles. Results Hypergraph regularization assumes that regions of interest (ROIs) and genes were located on a non-linear low-dimensional manifold and can capture the inherent prevalence of two modalities of data and mined high-order correlation features of the two data. Further, this paper used the HG-netNMF algorithm to construct a brain structure connection network and a protein interaction network (PPI) with potential role relationships, mine the risk (ROI) and key genes of both, and conduct a series of bioinformatics analyses. Conclusion Finally, this paper used the risk ROI and key genes of the AD and MCI groups to construct diagnostic models. The AUC of the AD group and MCI group were 0.8 and 0.797, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junli Zhuang
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jinping Tian
- Faculty of Medicine, Jianghan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaoxing Xiong
- Central Laboratory, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- *Correspondence: Xiaoxing Xiong,
| | - Taihan Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, Shenzhen, China
- Taihan Li,
| | - Zhengwei Chen
- Department of Radiology, Hubei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, China
| | - Rong Chen
- Department of Radiology, Hubei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, China
| | - Jun Chen
- Department of Radiology, Hubei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiang Li
- School of Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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Zhang J. Investigating neurological symptoms of infectious diseases like COVID-19 leading to a deeper understanding of neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease. Front Neurol 2022; 13:968193. [PMID: 36570463 PMCID: PMC9768197 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.968193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Apart from common respiratory symptoms, neurological symptoms are prevalent among patients with COVID-19. Research has shown that infection with SARS-CoV-2 accelerated alpha-synuclein aggregation, induced Lewy-body-like pathology, caused dopaminergic neuron senescence, and worsened symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). In addition, SARS-CoV-2 infection can induce neuroinflammation and facilitate subsequent neurodegeneration in long COVID, and increase individual vulnerability to PD or parkinsonism. These findings suggest that a post-COVID-19 parkinsonism might follow the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to prevent a possible post-COVID-19 parkinsonism, this paper reviewed neurological symptoms and related findings of COVID-19 and related infectious diseases (influenza and prion disease) and neurodegenerative disorders (Alzheimer's disease, PD and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), and discussed potential mechanisms underlying the neurological symptoms and the relationship between the infectious diseases and the neurodegenerative disorders, as well as the therapeutic and preventive implications in the neurodegenerative disorders. Infections with a relay of microbes (SARS-CoV-2, influenza A viruses, gut bacteria, etc.) and prion-like alpha-synuclein proteins over time may synergize to induce PD. Therefore, a systematic approach that targets these pathogens and the pathogen-induced neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration may provide cures for neurodegenerative disorders. Further, antiviral/antimicrobial drugs, vaccines, immunotherapies and new therapies (e.g., stem cell therapy) need to work together to treat, manage or prevent these disorders. As medical science and technology advances, it is anticipated that better vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 variants, new antiviral/antimicrobial drugs, effective immunotherapies (alpha-synuclein antibodies, vaccines for PD or parkinsonism, etc.), as well as new therapies will be developed and made available in the near future, which will help prevent a possible post-COVID-19 parkinsonism in the 21st century.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhang
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
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Chen Z, Chu M, Liu L, Zhang J, Kong Y, Xie K, Cui Y, Ye H, Li J, Wang L, Wu L. Genetic prion diseases presenting as frontotemporal dementia: clinical features and diagnostic challenge. Alzheimers Res Ther 2022; 14:90. [PMID: 35768878 PMCID: PMC9245249 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-022-01033-4] [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: 01/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background
To elucidate the clinical and ancillary features of genetic prion diseases (gPrDs) presenting with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) to aid early identification.
Methods
Global data of gPrDs presenting with FTD caused by prion protein gene mutations were collected from literature review and our records. Fifty-one cases of typical FTD and 136 cases of prion diseases admitted to our institution were included as controls. Clinical and ancillary data of the different groups were compared.
Results
Forty-nine cases of gPrDs presenting with FTD were identified. Compared to FTD or prion diseases, gPrDs presenting with FTD were characterized by earlier onset age (median 45 vs. 61/60 years, P < 0.001, P < 0.001) and higher incidence of positive family history (81.6% vs. 27.5/13.2%, P < 0.001, P < 0.001). Furthermore, GPrDs presenting with FTD exhibited shorter duration (median 5 vs. 8 years) and a higher rate of parkinsonism (63.7% vs. 9.8%, P < 0.001), pyramidal signs (39.1% vs. 7.8%, P = 0.001), mutism (35.9% vs. 0%, P < 0.001), seizures (25.8% vs. 0%, P < 0.001), myoclonus (22.5% vs. 0%, P < 0.001), and hyperintensity on MRI (25.0% vs. 0, P < 0.001) compared to FTD. Compared to prion diseases, gPrDs presenting with FTD had a longer duration of symptoms (median 5 vs. 1.1 years, P < 0.001), higher rates of frontotemporal atrophy (89.7% vs. 3.3%, P < 0.001), lower rates of periodic short-wave complexes on EEG (0% vs. 30.3%, P = 0.001), and hyperintensity on MRI (25.0% vs. 83.0%, P < 0.001). The frequency of codon 129 Val allele in gPrDs presenting with FTD was significantly higher than that reported in the literature for gPrDs in the Caucasian and East Asian populations (33.3% vs. 19.2%/8.0%, P = 0.005, P < 0.001).
Conclusions
GPrDs presenting with FTD are characterized by early-onset, high incidence of positive family history, high frequency of the Val allele at codon 129, overlapping symptoms with prion disease and FTD, and ancillary features closer to FTD. PRNP mutations may be a rare cause in the FTD spectrum, and PRNP genotyping should be considered in patients with these features.
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Zhao Y, Jaber VR, Lukiw WJ. SARS-CoV-2, long COVID, prion disease and neurodegeneration. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1002770. [PMID: 36238082 PMCID: PMC9551214 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1002770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yuhai Zhao
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
- LSU Neuroscience Center, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Vivian R. Jaber
- LSU Neuroscience Center, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Walter J. Lukiw
- LSU Neuroscience Center, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
- Department of Ophthalmology, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
- Department of Neurology, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
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8
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Lukiw WJ, Jaber VR, Pogue AI, Zhao Y. SARS-CoV-2 Invasion and Pathological Links to Prion Disease. Biomolecules 2022; 12:1253. [PMID: 36139092 PMCID: PMC9496025 DOI: 10.3390/biom12091253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of the COVID-19 disease, is a highly infectious and transmissible viral pathogen that continues to impact human health globally. Nearly ~600 million people have been infected with SARS-CoV-2, and about half exhibit some degree of continuing health complication, generically referred to as long COVID. Lingering and often serious neurological problems for patients in the post-COVID-19 recovery period include brain fog, behavioral changes, confusion, delirium, deficits in intellect, cognition and memory issues, loss of balance and coordination, problems with vision, visual processing and hallucinations, encephalopathy, encephalitis, neurovascular or cerebrovascular insufficiency, and/or impaired consciousness. Depending upon the patient’s age at the onset of COVID-19 and other factors, up to ~35% of all elderly COVID-19 patients develop a mild-to-severe encephalopathy due to complications arising from a SARS-CoV-2-induced cytokine storm and a surge in cytokine-mediated pro-inflammatory and immune signaling. In fact, this cytokine storm syndrome: (i) appears to predispose aged COVID-19 patients to the development of other neurological complications, especially those who have experienced a more serious grade of COVID-19 infection; (ii) lies along highly interactive and pathological pathways involving SARS-CoV-2 infection that promotes the parallel development and/or intensification of progressive and often lethal neurological conditions, and (iii) is strongly associated with the symptomology, onset, and development of human prion disease (PrD) and other insidious and incurable neurological syndromes. This commentary paper will evaluate some recent peer-reviewed studies in this intriguing area of human SARS-CoV-2-associated neuropathology and will assess how chronic, viral-mediated changes to the brain and CNS contribute to cognitive decline in PrD and other progressive, age-related neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter J. Lukiw
- LSU Neuroscience Center, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Alchem Biotek Research, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Department of Ophthalmology, LSU Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Department Neurology, LSU Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Vivian R. Jaber
- LSU Neuroscience Center, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | | | - Yuhai Zhao
- LSU Neuroscience Center, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy, LSU Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
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Zhao Y, Pogue AI, Alexandrov PN, Butler LG, Li W, Jaber VR, Lukiw WJ. Alteration of Biomolecular Conformation by Aluminum-Implications for Protein Misfolding Disease. Molecules 2022; 27:5123. [PMID: 36014365 PMCID: PMC9412470 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27165123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The natural element aluminum possesses a number of unique biochemical and biophysical properties that make this highly neurotoxic species deleterious towards the structural integrity, conformation, reactivity and stability of several important biomolecules. These include aluminum's (i) small ionic size and highly electrophilic nature, having the highest charge density of any metallic cation with a Z2/r of 18 (ionic charge +3, radius 0.5 nm); (ii) inclination to form extremely stable electrostatic bonds with a tendency towards covalency; (iii) ability to interact irreversibly and/or significantly slow down the exchange-rates of complex aluminum-biomolecular interactions; (iv) extremely dense electropositive charge with one of the highest known affinities for oxygen-donor ligands such as phosphate; (v) presence as the most abundant metal in the Earth's biosphere and general bioavailability in drinking water, food, medicines, consumer products, groundwater and atmospheric dust; and (vi) abundance as one of the most commonly encountered intracellular and extracellular metallotoxins. Despite aluminum's prevalence and abundance in the biosphere it is remarkably well-tolerated by all plant and animal species; no organism is known to utilize aluminum metabolically; however, a biological role for aluminum has been assigned in the compaction of chromatin. In this Communication, several examples are given where aluminum has been shown to irreversibly perturb and/or stabilize the natural conformation of biomolecules known to be important in energy metabolism, gene expression, cellular homeostasis and pathological signaling in neurological disease. Several neurodegenerative disorders that include the tauopathies, Alzheimer's disease and multiple prion disorders involve the altered conformation of naturally occurring cellular proteins. Based on the data currently available we speculate that one way aluminum contributes to neurological disease is to induce the misfolding of naturally occurring proteins into altered pathological configurations that contribute to the neurodegenerative disease process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhai Zhao
- LSU Neuroscience Center, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy, LSU Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | | | | | - Leslie G. Butler
- Department of Chemistry, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Wenhong Li
- Department of Pharmacology, Jiangxi University of TCM, Nanchang 330004, China
| | - Vivian R. Jaber
- LSU Neuroscience Center, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Walter J. Lukiw
- LSU Neuroscience Center, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Alchem Biotek Research, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, 113152 Moscow, Russian
- Department of Ophthalmology, LSU Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Department Neurology, LSU Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
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10
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Requena JR. Unlatching a window into the molecular landscape of prion toxicity. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2022; 29:733-735. [PMID: 35948769 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-022-00817-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jesús R Requena
- CIMUS Biomedical Research Institute, University of Santiago de Compostela-IDIS, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
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11
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Gosset P, Camu W, Raoul C, Mezghrani A. Prionoids in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac145. [PMID: 35783556 PMCID: PMC9242622 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the third most frequent neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. ALS is characterized by the selective and progressive loss of motoneurons in the spinal cord, brainstem and cerebral cortex. Clinical manifestations typically occur in midlife and start with focal muscle weakness, followed by the rapid and progressive wasting of muscles and subsequent paralysis. As with other neurodegenerative diseases, the condition typically begins at an initial point and then spreads along neuroanatomical tracts. This feature of disease progression suggests the spreading of prion-like proteins called prionoids in the affected tissues, which is similar to the spread of prion observed in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Intensive research over the last decade has proposed the ALS-causing gene products Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase 1, TAR DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa, and fused in sarcoma as very plausible prionoids contributing to the spread of the pathology. In this review, we will discuss the molecular and cellular mechanisms leading to the propagation of these prionoids in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Gosset
- INM, Univ Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, Montpellier 34095, France
| | - William Camu
- INM, Univ Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, Montpellier 34095, France
| | - Cedric Raoul
- INM, Univ Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, Montpellier 34095, France
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Richt JA, Haley N. Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies. Vet Microbiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/9781119650836.ch66] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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13
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Zhao Y, Lukiw WJ. SARS-CoV-2 Neuroinvasion, Inflammatory Neurodegeneration and Alzheimer's Disease. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:937961. [PMID: 35783095 PMCID: PMC9247146 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.937961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yuhai Zhao
- LSU Neuroscience Center, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, LSU Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Walter J. Lukiw
- LSU Neuroscience Center, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
- Department of Ophthalmology, LSU Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
- Department of Neurology, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
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14
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Prion Pathogenesis Revealed in a Series of the Special Issues "Prions and Prion Diseases". Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23126490. [PMID: 35742934 PMCID: PMC9224285 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23126490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
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Recent Advances in Our Molecular and Mechanistic Understanding of Misfolded Cellular Proteins in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and Prion Disease (PrD). Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12020166. [PMID: 35204666 PMCID: PMC8961532 DOI: 10.3390/biom12020166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Naturally occurring neuron-abundant proteins including amyloid Aβ42 peptide and the microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) can, over time and under pathological situations, assume atypical conformations, altering their normal biological structure and function, and causing them to aggregate into insoluble and neurotoxic intracellular inclusions. These misfolded proteins ultimately contribute to the pathogenesis of several progressive, age-related and ultimately lethal human neurodegenerative disorders. The molecular mechanism of this pathological phenomenon of neuronal protein misfolding lends support to the ‘prion hypothesis’, which predicts that the aberrant folding of endogenous natural protein structures into unusual pathogenic isoforms can induce the atypical folding of other similar brain-abundant proteins, underscoring the age-related, progressive nature and potential transmissible and spreading capabilities of the aberrant protein isoforms that drive these invariably fatal neurological syndromes. The abnormal folding and aggregation of host proteins is a consistent feature of both amyloidopathies and tauopathies that encompass a continuous spectrum of brain diseases that include Alzheimer’s disease (AD), prion disorders (PrD) such as scrapie in sheep and goats (Bovidae), experimental prion infection of rodents (Muridae), Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD) and Gerstmann–Sträussler–Scheinker syndrome (GSS) in humans (Hominidae), and other fatal prion-driven neurological disorders. Because AD patients accumulate both misfolded tau and Aβ peptides, AD may be somewhat unique as the first example of a ‘double prion disorder’. This commentary will examine current research trends in this fascinating research area, with a special emphasis on AD and PrD, and the novel pathological misfolded protein processes common to both intractable neurological disorders.
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Lukiw WJ. New Inroads Into Our Understanding of the Tauopathies, Alzheimer's Disease, and the Contribution of Altered Protein Conformation to Human Neurological Disease. Front Neurosci 2022; 15:817983. [PMID: 35069109 PMCID: PMC8777185 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.817983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
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Roterman I, Stapor K, Gądek K, Gubała T, Nowakowski P, Fabian P, Konieczny L. On the Dependence of Prion and Amyloid Structure on the Folding Environment. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222413494. [PMID: 34948291 PMCID: PMC8707753 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222413494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Currently available analyses of amyloid proteins reveal the necessity of the existence of radical structural changes in amyloid transformation processes. The analysis carried out in this paper based on the model called fuzzy oil drop (FOD) and its modified form (FOD-M) allows quantifying the role of the environment, particularly including the aquatic environment. The starting point and basis for the present presentation is the statement about the presence of two fundamentally different methods of organizing polypeptides into ordered conformations—globular proteins and amyloids. The present study shows the source of the differences between these two paths resulting from the specificity of the external force field coming from the environment, including the aquatic and hydrophobic one. The water environment expressed in the fuzzy oil drop model using the 3D Gauss function directs the folding process towards the construction of a micelle-like system with a hydrophobic core in the central part and the exposure of polarity on the surface. The hydrophobicity distribution of membrane proteins has the opposite characteristic: Exposure of hydrophobicity at the surface of the membrane protein with an often polar center (as in the case of ion channels) is expected. The structure of most proteins is influenced by a more or less modified force field generated by water through the appropriate presence of a non-polar (membrane-like) environment. The determination of the proportion of a factor different from polar water enables the assessment of the protein status by indicating factors favoring the structure it represents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irena Roterman
- Department of Bioinformatics and Telemedicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-034 Kopernika 7, 30-688 Krakow, Poland
- Correspondence:
| | - Katarzyna Stapor
- Department of Applied Informatics, Silesian University of Technology, Akademicka 16, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland;
| | - Krzysztof Gądek
- Sano Centre for Computation Medicine, Czarnowiejska 36, 30-054 Kraków, Poland; (K.G.); (T.G.); (P.N.)
| | - Tomasz Gubała
- Sano Centre for Computation Medicine, Czarnowiejska 36, 30-054 Kraków, Poland; (K.G.); (T.G.); (P.N.)
| | - Piotr Nowakowski
- Sano Centre for Computation Medicine, Czarnowiejska 36, 30-054 Kraków, Poland; (K.G.); (T.G.); (P.N.)
| | - Piotr Fabian
- Department of Algorithmics and Software, Silesian University of Technology, Akademicka 16, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland;
| | - Leszek Konieczny
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-034 Kopernika 7, 31-034 Krakow, Poland;
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Leite ADOF, Bento Torres Neto J, dos Reis RR, Sobral LL, de Souza ACP, Trévia N, de Oliveira RB, Lins NADA, Diniz DG, Diniz JAP, Vasconcelos PFDC, Anthony DC, Brites D, Picanço Diniz CW. Unwanted Exacerbation of the Immune Response in Neurodegenerative Disease: A Time to Review the Impact. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:749595. [PMID: 34744633 PMCID: PMC8570167 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.749595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic imposed a series of behavioral changes that resulted in increased social isolation and a more sedentary life for many across all age groups, but, above all, for the elderly population who are the most vulnerable to infections and chronic neurodegenerative diseases. Systemic inflammatory responses are known to accelerate neurodegenerative disease progression, which leads to permanent damage, loss of brain function, and the loss of autonomy for many aged people. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a spectrum of inflammatory responses was generated in affected individuals, and it is expected that the elderly patients with chronic neurodegenerative diseases who survived SARSCoV-2 infection, it will be found, sooner or later, that there is a worsening of their neurodegenerative conditions. Using mouse prion disease as a model for chronic neurodegeneration, we review the effects of social isolation, sedentary living, and viral infection on the disease progression with a focus on sickness behavior and on the responses of microglia and astrocytes. Focusing on aging, we discuss the cellular and molecular mechanisms related to immunosenescence in chronic neurodegenerative diseases and how infections may accelerate their progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda de Oliveira Ferreira Leite
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - João Bento Torres Neto
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Renata Rodrigues dos Reis
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Luciane Lobato Sobral
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Aline Cristine Passos de Souza
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Nonata Trévia
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Roseane Borner de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Nara Alves de Almeida Lins
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Daniel Guerreiro Diniz
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
- Laboratório de Microscopia Eletrônica, Instituto Evandro Chagas, Belém, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Dora Brites
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Medicines, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Cristovam Wanderley Picanço Diniz
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
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Selective Breeding for Disease-Resistant PRNP Variants to Manage Chronic Wasting Disease in Farmed Whitetail Deer. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12091396. [PMID: 34573378 PMCID: PMC8471411 DOI: 10.3390/genes12091396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) of cervids caused by a misfolded variant of the normal cellular prion protein, and it is closely related to sheep scrapie. Variations in a host's prion gene, PRNP, and its primary protein structure dramatically affect susceptibility to specific prion disorders, and breeding for PRNP variants that prevent scrapie infection has led to steep declines in the disease in North American and European sheep. While resistant alleles have been identified in cervids, a PRNP variant that completely prevents CWD has not yet been identified. Thus, control of the disease in farmed herds traditionally relies on quarantine and depopulation. In CWD-endemic areas, depopulation of private herds becomes challenging to justify, leading to opportunities to manage the disease in situ. We developed a selective breeding program for farmed white-tailed deer in a high-prevalence CWD-endemic area which focused on reducing frequencies of highly susceptible PRNP variants and introducing animals with less susceptible variants. With the use of newly developed primers, we found that breeding followed predictable Mendelian inheritance, and early data support our project's utility in reducing CWD prevalence. This project represents a novel approach to CWD management, with future efforts building on these findings.
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Pogue AI, Lukiw WJ. microRNA-146a-5p, Neurotropic Viral Infection and Prion Disease (PrD). Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22179198. [PMID: 34502105 PMCID: PMC8431499 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22179198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The human brain and central nervous system (CNS) harbor a select sub-group of potentially pathogenic microRNAs (miRNAs), including a well-characterized NF-kB-sensitive Homo sapiens microRNA hsa-miRNA-146a-5p (miRNA-146a). miRNA-146a is significantly over-expressed in progressive and often lethal viral- and prion-mediated and related neurological syndromes associated with progressive inflammatory neurodegeneration. These include ~18 different viral-induced encephalopathies for which data are available, at least ~10 known prion diseases (PrD) of animals and humans, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other sporadic and progressive age-related neurological disorders. Despite the apparent lack of nucleic acids in prions, both DNA- and RNA-containing viruses along with prions significantly induce miRNA-146a in the infected host, but whether this represents part of the host’s adaptive immunity, innate-immune response or a mechanism to enable the invading prion or virus a successful infection is not well understood. Current findings suggest an early and highly interactive role for miRNA-146a: (i) as a major small noncoding RNA (sncRNA) regulator of innate-immune responses and inflammatory signaling in cells of the human brain and CNS; (ii) as a critical component of the complement system and immune-related neurological dysfunction; (iii) as an inducible sncRNA of the brain and CNS that lies at a critical intersection of several important neurobiological adaptive immune response processes with highly interactive associations involving complement factor H (CFH), Toll-like receptor pathways, the innate-immunity, cytokine production, apoptosis and neural cell decline; and (iv) as a potential biomarker for viral infection, TSE and AD and other neurological diseases in both animals and humans. In this report, we review the recent data supporting the idea that miRNA-146a may represent a novel and unique sncRNA-based biomarker for inflammatory neurodegeneration in multiple species. This paper further reviews the current state of knowledge regarding the nature and mechanism of miRNA-146a in viral and prion infection of the human brain and CNS with reference to AD wherever possible.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Walter J. Lukiw
- LSU Neuroscience Center, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Department of Neurology, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Correspondence:
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