Neurotoxicity of the putative transmembrane domain of the prion protein.
It has been shown recently that the generation of an abnormal transmembrane form of the prion protein ((Ctm)PrP) is involved in the neurodegeneration process during inherited and infectious prion diseases but a causative relationship has never been established. We wanted to know if and how the proposed transmembrane domain of PrP could induce neuronal dysfunction. Thus, we investigated the neurotoxic properties of two peptides whose sequences are encompassed within this domain. We show that PrP peptides 118-135 and 105-132 as well as an amidated more soluble peptide 105-132 induce the death of pure cortical neurons originating from normal and PrP knockout mice. This can be correlated with the high propensity of these peptides to insert stably into and to destabilize cell membranes. Through this study, we have identified a novel mechanism of neurotoxicity for PrP, which directly involves membrane perturbation; this mechanism is independent of fibril formation and probably corresponds to the effect of the transmembrane insertion of (Ctm)PrP.
Haïk
S
S
CEA, Fontenay aux Roses Cedex, 92 265, France.
Peyrin
J M
JM
Lins
L
L
Rosseneu
M Y
MY
Brasseur
R
R
Langeveld
J P
JP
Tagliavini
F
F
Deslys
J P
JP
Lasmézas
C
C
Dormont
D
D
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D018846:Excitatory Amino Acids / Q000494:pharmacology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017096:Prion Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011328:Prions / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary
C110396:(ctm)PrP; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D018846:Excitatory Amino Acids; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011328:Prions; C074636:amyloid beta-protein (25-35); C419707:prion protein (105-132); C082632:prion protein (106-126); C417023:prion protein (118-135)