scholarly journals Prions in control of cell glycosylation

2004 ◽  
Vol 380 (1) ◽  
pp. e5-e6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth F. HOUNSELL

Prion proteins that are normal cellular components or involved in pathology can vary little or not at all in primary amino acid sequence, but their glycosylation is different, e.g. in scrapie versus normal forms; in mouse strain-specific isolates; and in BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) and variant CJD (Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease) versus classical CJD. The results of Nielsen et al. published in this issue of the Biochemical Journal show that changes in glycosylation are not restricted to the prion. The paper comprehensively characterizes a decrease in the glycosylation of the insulin receptor in scrapie-infected neuroblastoma cells, but no change in glycosylation of the insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor. Thus the scrapie prion can influence glycosylation, not only of itself, but also of other selected cell glycoproteins.

2009 ◽  
Vol 90 (3) ◽  
pp. 764-768 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Stack ◽  
Lorenzo González ◽  
Martin Jeffrey ◽  
Stuart Martin ◽  
Colin Macaldowie ◽  
...  

During the 1980s, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)-contaminated meat and bonemeal were probably fed to sheep, raising concerns that BSE may have been transmitted to sheep in the UK. The human disease, variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, arose during the BSE epidemic, and oral exposure of humans to BSE-infected tissues has been implicated in its aetiology. The concern is that sheep BSE could provide another source of BSE exposure to humans via sheep products. Two immunological techniques, Western immunoblotting (WB) and immunohistochemistry (IHC), have been developed to distinguish scrapie from cases of experimental sheep BSE by the characteristics of their respective abnormal, disease-associated prion proteins (PrPd). This study compares the WB and IHC characteristics of PrPd from brains of primary, secondary and tertiary experimental ovine BSE cases with those of cattle BSE and natural sheep scrapie. Discrimination between experimental sheep BSE and scrapie remained possible by both methods, regardless of the route of challenge.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 781
Author(s):  
Inés Maldonado-Lasunción ◽  
Nick O’Neill ◽  
Oliver Umland ◽  
Joost Verhaagen ◽  
Martin Oudega

Pre-clinical and clinical studies revealed that mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) transplants elicit tissue repair. Conditioning MSC prior to transplantation may boost their ability to support repair. We investigated macrophage-derived inflammation as a means to condition MSC by comprehensively analyzing their transcriptome and secretome. Conditioning MSC with macrophage-derived inflammation resulted in 3208 differentially expressed genes, which were annotated with significantly enriched GO terms for 1085 biological processes, 85 cellular components, and 79 molecular functions. Inflammation-mediated conditioning increased the secretion of growth factors that are key for tissue repair, including vascular endothelial growth factor, hepatocyte growth factor, nerve growth factor and glial-derived neurotrophic factor. Furthermore, we found that inflammation-mediated conditioning induces transcriptomic changes that challenge the viability and mobility of MSC. Our data support the notion that macrophage-derived inflammation stimulates MSC to augment their paracrine repair-supporting activity. The results suggest that inflammatory pre-conditioning enhances the therapeutic potential of MSC transplants.


Author(s):  
Shazma Khan ◽  
Sara Khan

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) is a transmissible disorder of the central nervous system caused by the transformation of normal prion protein into an abnormal misfolded form. The process begins spontaneously and runs a vicious cycle to cause spongiform encephalopathy, rapidly resulting in death. Amply described in the western literature, CJD is scarcely reported in Asia due to certain limitations including missed diagnosis, under-reporting, and rarity of the disease. Brain MRI, electroencephalogram, cerebrospinal fluid testing, and biopsy of the infected brain tissue support the diagnosis in cases of clinical suspicion. However, the diagnosis can still be made with limited available resources in developing countries. <b><i>Method:</i></b> A review of CJD cases evaluated in the neurology department of a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan was done from 2002 to 2018. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Eleven cases labeled as sCJD are identified based on the European MRI-CJD consortium criteria. This is the first study on CJD from Pakistan, which includes both the typical and atypical presentations. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Even with limited testing available, the diagnosis of CJD can be made with confidence in the developing countries, provided the suspicion is kept high in cases of rapid onset dementia and acute behavioral changes.


2008 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 855-864 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshinori Takei ◽  
Ronald Laskey

Although nerve growth factor (NGF) promotes survival of neurons, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) contributes to cell death triggered by NGF depletion, through TNF-α receptor (TNFR) 1. In contrast to this effect, TNF-α can promote neural cell survival via TNF-α receptor TNFR2. Although these findings demonstrate pivotal roles of TNF-α and NGF in cell fate decisions, cross-talk between these signaling pathways has not been clarified. We find that NGF can induce TNF-α synthesis through the nuclear factor-κB transcription factor. This provides a new basis for examining the cross-talk between NGF and TNF-α. Inhibition of TNFR2 shows opposite effects on two downstream kinases of NGF, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk) and Akt. It increases Erk activation by NGF, and this increased activation induces differentiation of neuroblastoma cell lines. Reciprocally, inhibition of TNFR2 decreases Akt activation by NGF. Consistent with an essential role of Akt in survival signaling, inhibition of TNF-α signaling decreases NGF-dependent survival of neurons from rat dorsal root ganglia. Thus, NGF and NGF-induced TNF-α cooperate to activate Akt, promoting survival of normal neural cells. However, the NGF-induced TNF-α suppresses Erk activation by NGF, blocking NGF-induced differentiation of neuroblastoma cells. TNFR2 signaling could be a novel target to modulate cell responses to NGF.


1996 ◽  
Vol 17 (8) ◽  
pp. 521-528
Author(s):  
Dominique Dormont

AbstractTransmissible spongiform encephalopathies are rare lethal diseases induced in humans and animals by unconventional agents called transmissible spongiform encephalopathy agents (TSEAs), virions, or prions. Several cases of iatrogenic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) have been reported in the literature after neuro-surgery, treatment with pituitary-derived hormones, corneal grafting, and use of dura mater lyophilisates. In a given infected individual, TSEA-associated infectiousness depends on the nature of the organ: the central nervous system has the highest infectiousness, spleen and lymph nodes a medium infectiousness, and organs such as bone, skin, or skeletal muscles do not harbor any detectable infectiousness in experimental models. Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy/prions have unconventional properties; in particular, they resist almost all the chemical and physical processes that inactivate conventional viruses. Therefore, prevention of CJD agent transmission must be taken into account in daily hospital practice. Efficient sterilization procedures should be determined. In tissue and blood donation, donors with a neurologic history must be excluded, and patients treated with pituitary-derived hormones should be considered potentially infected with TSEA and excluded.


1998 ◽  
Vol 46 (10) ◽  
pp. 1193-1197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcelo J. Perone ◽  
Simon Windeatt ◽  
Ewan Morrison ◽  
Andy Shering ◽  
Peter Tomasec ◽  
...  

We investigated the intracellular localization of CRH in transiently transfected COS-7 cells expressing the full-length rat corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) precursor cDNA. CRH synthesized by transfected COS-7 cells is mainly stored intracellularly. In contrast, CHO-K1 cells expressing the same CRH precursor stored and released equal amounts of immunoreactive (IR)-CRH. Ultrastructural analysis revealed that CRH is stored in electron-dense aggregates in the RER of transiently transfected COS-7 cells and does not migrate into the Golgi apparatus. On the basis of the different intracellular localization, storage, and release of CRH in COS-7 and CHO-K1 cells, we hypothesize that the intracellular trafficking of CRH within the constitutive secretory pathway for protein secretion not only depends on its primary amino acid sequence but might also be influenced by intracellular conditions or factors.


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