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Kim YC, Kim SK, Jeong BH. Scrapie susceptibility-associated indel polymorphism of shadow of prion protein gene (SPRN) in Korean native black goats. Sci Rep 2019; 9:15261. [PMID: 31649311 PMCID: PMC6813300 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51625-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases in sheep and goats are called scrapie and belong to a group of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) caused by the abnormal misfolding of the prion protein encoded by the prion protein gene (PRNP). The shadow of the prion protein gene (SPRN) is the only prion gene family member that shows a protein expression profile similar to that of the PRNP gene in the central nervous system. In addition, genetic susceptibility of the SPRN gene has been reported in variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and scrapie. However, genetic studies of the SPRN gene have not been carried out in Korean native black goats. Here, we investigated the genotype and allele frequencies of SPRN polymorphisms in 213 Korean native black goats and compared these polymorphisms with those previously reported for scrapie-affected animals. We found a total of 6 polymorphisms including 1 nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and 1 synonymous SNP in the open reading frame (ORF) region and 3 SNPs and 1 indel polymorphism (c.495_496insCTCCC) in the 3' untranslated region (UTR) by direct DNA sequencing. A significant difference in the allele frequency of the c.495_496insCTCCC indel polymorphism was found between the Italian scrapie-affected goats and the Korean native black goats (P < 0.001). Furthermore, there was a significant difference in the allele frequencies of the c.495_496insCTCCC indel polymorphism between Italian healthy goats and Korean native black goats (P < 0.001). To evaluate the biological impact of the novel nonsynonymous SNP c.416G > A (Arg139Gln), we carried out PROVEAN analysis. PROVEAN predicted the SNP as 'Neutral' with a score of -0.297. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first genetic study of the SPRN gene in Korean native black goats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Chan Kim
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Chonbuk National University, Iksan, 54531, Republic of Korea
- Department of Bioactive Material Sciences and Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, 54896, Republic of Korea
| | - Seon-Kwan Kim
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Chonbuk National University, Iksan, 54531, Republic of Korea
- Department of Bioactive Material Sciences and Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, 54896, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung-Hoon Jeong
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Chonbuk National University, Iksan, 54531, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Bioactive Material Sciences and Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, 54896, Republic of Korea.
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Zhao H, Wang SQ, Qing LL, Liu LL, Zhang YP. Expression of BSE-associated proteins in the CNS and lymphoreticular tissues of cattle and buffalo. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s11434-016-1130-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Abstract
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a prion disease that is invariably fatal in cattle and has been implicated as a significant human health risk. As a transmissible disease of livestock, it has impacted food safety, production practices, global trade, and profitability. Genetic polymorphisms that alter the prion protein in humans and sheep are associated with transmissible spongiform encephalopathy susceptibility or resistance. In contrast, there is no strong evidence that nonsynonymous mutations in the bovine prion gene (PRNP) are associated with classical BSE (C-BSE) disease susceptibility, though two bovine PRNP insertion/deletion polymorphisms, in the putative region, are associated with susceptibility to C-BSE. However, these associations do not explain the full extent of BSE susceptibility, and loci outside of PRNP appear to be associated with disease incidence in some cattle populations. This article provides a review of the current state of genetic knowledge regarding prion diseases in cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda M Murdoch
- Animal and Veterinary Science, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - Gordon K Murdoch
- Animal and Veterinary Science, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
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Abstract
The human cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchored membrane glycoprotein with two N-glycosylation sites at residues 181 and 197. This protein migrates in several bands by Western blot analysis (WB). Interestingly, PNGase F treatment of human brain homogenates prior to the WB, which is known to remove the N-glycosylations, unexpectedly gives rise to two dominant bands, which are now known as C-terminal (C1) and N-terminal (N1) fragments. This resembles the β-amyloid precursor protein (APP) in Alzheimer disease (AD), which can be physiologically processed by α-, β-, and γ-secretases. The processing of APP has been extensively studied, while the identity of the cellular proteases involved in the proteolysis of PrP(C) and their possible role in prion biology has remained limited and controversial. Nevertheless, there is a strong correlation between the neurotoxicity caused by prion proteins and the blockade of their normal proteolysis. For example, expression of non-cleavable PrP(C) mutants in transgenic mice generates neurotoxicity, even in the absence of infectious prions, suggesting that PrP(C) proteolysis is physiologically and pathologically important. As many mouse models of prion diseases have recently been developed and the knowledge about the proteases responsible for the PrP(C) proteolysis is accumulating, we examine the historical experimental evidence and highlight recent studies that shed new light on this issue.
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Zhao H, Liu LL, Du SH, Wang SQ, Zhang YP. Comparative analysis of the Shadoo gene between cattle and buffalo reveals significant differences. PLoS One 2012; 7:e46601. [PMID: 23071594 PMCID: PMC3468620 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0046601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2012] [Accepted: 09/01/2012] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background While prions play a central role in the pathogenesis of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, the biology of these proteins and the pathophysiology of these diseases remain largely unknown. Since no case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) has ever been reported in buffalo despite their phylogenetic proximity to cattle, genetic differences may be driving the different susceptibilities of these two species to BSE. We thus hypothesized that differences in expression of the most recently identified member of the prion family or Shadoo (SPRN) gene may relate to these species-specific differences. Principal Findings We first analyzed and compared the polymorphisms of the SPRN gene (∼4.4 kb), including the putative promoter, coding and 3′ regions, and further verified the entire ORF and putative promoter. This yielded a total of 117 fixed differences, remarkably: 1) a 12-bp insertion/deletion polymorphism in the hydrophobic domain of the cattle but not buffalo gene, introducing a four amino acid expansion/contraction in a series of 5 tandem Ala/Gly-containing repeats; 2) two fixed missense mutations (102Ser→Gly and 119Thr→Ala), and three missense mutations (92Pro>Thr/Met, 122Thr>Ile and 139Arg>Trp) in the coding region presenting different (P<0.05) genotypic and allelic frequency distributions between cattle and buffalo; and, 3) functional luciferase-reporter experiments for the predicted promoter region, consistent with a significantly higher activity in buffalo than cattle. Supporting these findings, immunoblotting revealed higher relative expression levels of Sho protein in cerebrum from buffalo than from cattle. In addition, for cattle, highest Sho expression was detected in obex, as compared to cerebrum or cerebellum. Significance Our findings support Sho as a non-PrP specific marker for prion infections, with obex as the best tissue source for the detection of Sho in TSE rapid tests. Moreover, these discoveries may prove advantageous for further understanding the biology of prion diseases.
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MESH Headings
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Animals
- Base Sequence
- Binding Sites
- Brain/metabolism
- Buffaloes/genetics
- Cattle/genetics
- Encephalopathy, Bovine Spongiform/genetics
- Gene Components
- Gene Expression
- Gene Frequency
- Genes, Reporter
- INDEL Mutation
- Luciferases, Renilla/biosynthesis
- Luciferases, Renilla/genetics
- Mutation, Missense
- Nerve Tissue Proteins/genetics
- Nerve Tissue Proteins/metabolism
- Organ Specificity
- Polymorphism, Genetic
- Protein Structure, Tertiary
- Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid
- Sequence Analysis, DNA
- Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zhao
- Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-resource, Yunnan University, Kunming, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lin-Lin Liu
- Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-resource, Yunnan University, Kunming, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shou-Hui Du
- School of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, People’s Republic of China
| | - Si-Qi Wang
- Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-resource, Yunnan University, Kunming, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ya-Ping Zhang
- Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-resource, Yunnan University, Kunming, People’s Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, People’s Republic of China
- * E-mail:
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Gurgul A, Polak MP, Larska M, Słota E. PRNP and SPRN genes polymorphism in atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy cases diagnosed in Polish cattle. J Appl Genet 2012; 53:337-42. [PMID: 22723200 DOI: 10.1007/s13353-012-0102-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2012] [Revised: 05/21/2012] [Accepted: 05/31/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Polymorphisms in the coding region of the prion protein gene (PRNP) have been associated with the susceptibility and incubation period of prion diseases in humans and sheep. However, polymorphisms in this part of the bovine PRNP gene do not affect the classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) susceptibility in cattle. Studies carried out in Germany have shown that insertion/deletion-type polymorphisms located in the promoter region of the bovine prion gene are possible genetic factors modulating BSE susceptibility by changing the level of PRNP expression. No such association was observed for atypical BSE cases; however, due to the rare nature of the disease, these results should be confirmed. Additionally, a single nonsynonymous mutation in PRNP codon 211 (E211K) was described in one H-type BSE case in the USA; however, it was not found in any other cases. Here, we performed genetic characterization of PRNP promoter indel variations and determined the polymorphism of open reading frames (ORFs) of PRNP and bovine prion-like Shadoo (SPRN) genes in six Polish atypical BSE cases and compared these results to the population of clinically healthy Polish Holstein cattle. No potentially pathogenic mutations were found in the PRNP ORF in atypical BSE-affected cattle, but our study showed a high frequency of deletions at the indel loci of PRNP promoter in these animals. Additionally, a rare sequence variation in the SPRN protein-coding sequence was found in one L-type atypical BSE-affected animal.
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Piestrzyńska-Kajtoch A, Gurgul A, Polak MP, Smołucha G, Zmudziński JF, Rejduch B. Characterization of PRNP and SPRN coding regions from atypical scrapie cases diagnosed in Poland. Mol Biol Rep 2011; 39:2575-83. [PMID: 21674189 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-011-1010-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2010] [Accepted: 06/02/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Scrapie, a fatal transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) occurs in two phenotypes: classical and atypical. Many authors point out that the polymorphism of three codons (136, 154, 171) of the PRNP (PrP gene) is associated with a sheep susceptibility to classical scrapie. Until now, only one PRNP gene variant coding phenylalanine at codon 141 has been found to be associated with atypical scrapie. Another recently identified and interesting candidate gene for scrapie susceptibility in sheep is an SPRN gene coding for Shadoo protein (Sho). Sho is a highly interspecies conserved protein and an insertion/deletion (indel) found in a sheep Sho gene was associated with classical scrapie occurrence. Here we determined the polymorphism of PRNP and SPRN genes in nine atypical scrapie cases (six in native born sheep and three in imported sheep) and compared these results with a control group of healthy animals comprising six corresponding Polish sheep breeds. In atypical scrapie cases five PRNP diplotypes were identified: A(136)R(154)Q(171)/ARQ, AHQ/ARQ, ARR/ARQ, ARR/AHQ and AHQ/AHQ. The ARR/AHQ diplotype was found only in imported sheep. A previously unobserved SNP in PRNP (E224K) was also found in both atypical scrapie and in a few control animals. In the ORF of the SPRN gene, six SNPs and one indel were identified. None of these variations was exclusive for scrapie animals and they were probably, naturally occurring polymorphisms. Special attention was given to the 6-bp indel SPRN polymorphism which was previously associated with classical scrapie occurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata Piestrzyńska-Kajtoch
- Department of Animal Immuno- and Cytogenetics, National Research Institute of Animal Production, Krakowska 1, 32-083 Balice n Krakow, Poland
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Lampo E, Van den Broeck W, Willemarck N, Van Poucke M, Casteleyn CR, De Spiegelaere W, Van Zeveren A, Peelman LJ. Distribution of the Shadoo protein in the ovine brain assessed by immunohistochemistry. Res Vet Sci 2010; 90:372-8. [PMID: 20667569 DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2010.06.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2009] [Revised: 06/14/2010] [Accepted: 06/28/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Shadow of prion protein is a gene potentially involved in the pathogenesis of prion diseases. However, the Shadoo protein encoded by this gene has not yet been studied in sheep, an important species in prion matters. Therefore, we developed a polyclonal antibody against ovine Shadoo and assessed the presence and distribution of this protein in the ovine brain by immunohistochemistry. The strongest staining level was found in the cerebellum (especially in the Purkinje cells) and in the pons, but cerebrum, hippocampus, pituitary gland, medulla oblongata, thalamus and hypothalamus were also immunopositive. Remarkably, a typical granular pattern was seen in most of the tested brain tissues, which might indicate that Shadoo is primarily expressed at synapses. The results of this study and the availability of an ovine anti-Shadoo antibody can contribute to future research on the function of Shadoo and on its potential involvement in prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Lampo
- Department of Nutrition, Genetics and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Heidestraat 19, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
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Lampo E, Duchateau L, Schepens B, Van Poucke M, Saelens X, Erkens T, Van Zeveren A, Peelman LJ. Identification of polymorphisms in the ovine Shadow of prion protein (SPRN) gene and assessment of their effect on promoter activity and susceptibility for classical scrapie. Anim Genet 2009; 41:169-78. [PMID: 19917049 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2052.2009.01984.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Shadow of prion protein (SPRN) is an interesting candidate gene thought to be involved in prion pathogenesis. In humans, an association has already been discovered between mutations in SPRN and the incidence of variant and sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. However, in sheep, the effect of mutations in SPRN is largely unknown. Therefore, we analysed the presence of mutations in the entire ovine SPRN gene, their association with scrapie susceptibility and their effect on SPRN promoter activity. In total, 26 mutations were found: seven in the promoter region, four in intron 1, seven in the coding sequence and eight in the 3' untranslated region. The mutations detected in the coding sequence and the promoter region were subsequently analysed in more detail. In the coding sequence, a polymorphism causing a deletion of two alanines was found to be associated with susceptibility for classical scrapie in sheep. Furthermore, a functional analysis of deletion constructs of the ovine SPRN promoter revealed that the region 464 to 230 bp upstream of exon 1 (containing a putative AP-2 and putative Sp1 binding sites) is of functional importance for SPRN transcription. Six mutations in the SPRN promoter were also found to alter the promoter activity in vitro. However, no association between any of these promoter mutations and susceptibility for classical scrapie was found.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Lampo
- Department of Nutrition, Genetics and Ethology, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
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Young R, Passet B, Vilotte M, Cribiu EP, Béringue V, Le Provost F, Laude H, Vilotte JL. The prion or the related Shadoo protein is required for early mouse embryogenesis. FEBS Lett 2009; 583:3296-300. [PMID: 19766638 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2009.09.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2009] [Accepted: 09/14/2009] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The prion protein PrP has a key role in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies but its biological function remains largely unknown. Recently, a related protein, Shadoo, was discovered. Its biological properties and brain distribution partially overlap that of PrP. We report that the Shadoo-encoding gene knockdown in PrP-knockout mouse embryos results in a lethal phenotype, occurring between E8 and E11, not observed on the wild-type genetic background. It reveals that these two proteins play a shared, crucial role in mammalian embryogenesis, explaining the lack of severe phenotype in PrP-knockout mammals, an appreciable step towards deciphering the biological role of this protein family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Young
- INRA-UMR1313, Génétique Animale et Biologie Intégrative, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France
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Stewart P, Shen C, Zhao D, Goldmann W. Genetic analysis of the SPRN gene in ruminants reveals polymorphisms in the alanine-rich segment of shadoo protein. J Gen Virol 2009; 90:2575-2580. [PMID: 19515828 DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.011494-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases in ruminants, especially sheep scrapie, cannot be fully explained by PRNP genetics, suggesting the influence of a second modulator gene. The SPRN gene is a good candidate for this role. The SPRN gene encodes the shadoo protein (Sho) which has homology to the PRNP gene encoding prion protein (PrP). Murine Sho has a similar neuroprotective activity to PrP and SPRN gene variants are associated with human prion disease susceptibility. SPRN gene sequences were obtained from 14 species in the orders Artiodactyla and Rodentia. We report here the sequences of more than 20 different Sho proteins that have arisen due to single amino acid substitutions and amino acid deletions or insertions. All Sho sequences contained an alanine-rich sequence homologous to a hydrophobic region with amyloidogenic characteristics in PrP. In contrast with PrP, the Sho sequence showed variability in the number of alanine residues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Stewart
- Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Neuropathogenesis Division, Roslin, Midlothian, UK
| | - Cuicui Shen
- National TSE Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agriculture University, Beijing, PR China.,Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Neuropathogenesis Division, Roslin, Midlothian, UK
| | - Deming Zhao
- National TSE Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agriculture University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Wilfred Goldmann
- Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Neuropathogenesis Division, Roslin, Midlothian, UK
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Lampo E, Van Poucke M, Vandesompele J, Erkens T, Van Zeveren A, Peelman LJ. Positive correlation between relative mRNA expression of PRNP and SPRN in cerebral and cerebellar cortex of sheep. Mol Cell Probes 2008; 23:60-4. [PMID: 19059475 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcp.2008.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2008] [Revised: 11/12/2008] [Accepted: 11/13/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
SPRN is an interesting new member of the PRNP family because of its sequence homology with the hydrophobic region of PRNP, its expression in brain tissue and its PrP-like properties in functional experiments on Prnp(0/0) mice. In this study, we investigated by quantitative real-time PCR the relative mRNA expression levels of SPRN and PRNP in sheep cerebrum and cerebellum and the mutual relationship between these expression levels. Analysis of PRNP and SPRN mRNA expression levels in 45 cerebral cortex and 47 cerebellar cortex samples showed that the PRNP expression level was significantly higher (p<0.05) in cerebellum than in cerebrum, while no significant difference was detected for SPRN between these tissues. The expression level varied clearly more in cerebrum than in cerebellum for both genes tested, and the variation was larger for SPRN than for PRNP in both types of brain tissue. Remarkably, the mRNA expression levels of PRNP and SPRN showed a highly significant positive correlation in both cerebrum (p<0.0001) and cerebellum (p<0.001). This positive correlation might indicate co-regulation between these genes. Further investigation on the causal nature of this correlation may provide new insights into prion pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyne Lampo
- Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Heidestraat 19, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
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Abstract
Using comparative genomics and in-silico analyses, we previously identified a new member of the prion-protein (PrP) family, the gene SPRN, encoding the protein Shadoo (Sho), and suggested its functions might overlap with those of PrP. Extended bioinformatics and conceptual biology studies to elucidate Sho’s functions now reveal Sho has a conserved RGG-box motif, a well-known RNA-binding motif characterized in proteins such as FragileX Mental Retardation Protein. We report a systematic comparative analysis of RGG-box containing proteins which highlights the motif’s functional versatility and supports the suggestion that Sho plays a dual role in cell signaling and RNA binding in brain. These findings provide a further link to PrP, which has well-characterized RNA-binding properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan M Corley
- Computational Proteomics and Therapy Design Group, Division of Molecular Bioscience, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, PO Box 334, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
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Lampo E, Van Poucke M, Hugot K, Hayes H, Van Zeveren A, Peelman LJ. Characterization of the genomic region containing the Shadow of Prion Protein (SPRN) gene in sheep. BMC Genomics 2007; 8:138. [PMID: 17537256 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-8-138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2007] [Accepted: 05/30/2007] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background TSEs are a group of fatal neurodegenerative diseases occurring in man and animals. They are caused by prions, alternatively folded forms of the endogenous prion protein, encoded by PRNP. Since differences in the sequence of PRNP can not explain all variation in TSE susceptibility, there is growing interest in other genes that might have an influence on this susceptibility. One of these genes is SPRN, a gene coding for a protein showing remarkable similarities with the prion protein. Until now, SPRN has not been described in sheep, a highly relevant species in prion matters. Results In order to characterize the genomic region containing SPRN in sheep, a BAC mini-contig was built, covering approximately 200,000 bp and containing the genes ECHS1, PAOX, MTG1, SPRN, LOC619207, CYP2E1 and at least partially SYCE1. FISH mapping of the two most exterior BAC clones of the contig positioned this contig on Oari22q24. A fragment of 4,544 bp was also sequenced, covering the entire SPRN gene and 1206 bp of the promoter region. In addition, the transcription profile of SPRN in 21 tissues was determined by RT-PCR, showing high levels in cerebrum and cerebellum, and low levels in testis, lymph node, jejunum, ileum, colon and rectum. Conclusion Annotation of a mini-contig including SPRN suggests conserved linkage between Oari22q24 and Hsap10q26. The ovine SPRN sequence, described for the first time, shows a high level of homology with the bovine, and to a lesser extent with the human SPRN sequence. In addition, transcription profiling in sheep reveals main expression of SPRN in brain tissue, as in rat, cow, man and mouse.
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