title: Processing and degradation of exogenous prion protein by CD11c(+) myeloid dendritic cells in vitro.
abstract: The immune system plays an important role in facilitating the spread of prion infections from the periphery to the central nervous system. CD11c(+) myeloid dendritic cells (DC) could, due to their subepithelial location and their migratory capacity, be early targets for prion infection and contribute to the spread of infection. In order to analyze mechanisms by which these cells may affect prion propagation, we studied in vitro the effect of exposing such DC to scrapie-infected GT1-1 cells, which produce the scrapie prion protein PrP(Sc). In this system, the DC efficiently engulfed the infected GT1-1 cells. Unexpectedly, PrP(Sc), which is generally resistant to protease digestion, was processed and rapidly degraded. Based on this observation we speculate that CD11c(+) DC may play a dual role in prion infections: on one hand they may facilitate neuroinvasion by transfer of the infectious agent as suggested from in vivo studies, but on the other hand they may protect against the infection by causing an efficient degradation of PrP(Sc). Thus, the migrating and highly proteolytic CD11c(+) myeloid DC may affect the balance between propagation and clearance of PrP(Sc) in the organism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Katarina M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Luhr
authors.forename: Robert P A
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Wallin
authors.forename: Hans-Gustaf
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Ljunggren
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Löw
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taraboulos
authors.forename: Krister
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kristensson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D039521:CD11c Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018620:PrPSc Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D012608:Scrapie / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D039521:CD11c Antigen; D018620:PrPSc Proteins