title: The mechanism of internalization of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored prion protein.
abstract: The mode of internalization of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins, lacking any cytoplasmic domain by which to engage adaptors to recruit them into coated pits, is problematical; that of prion protein in particular is of interest since its cellular trafficking appears to play an essential role in its pathogenic conversion. Here we demonstrate, in primary cultured neurons and the N2a neural cell line, that prion protein is rapidly and constitutively endocytosed. While still on the cell surface, prion protein leaves lipid 'raft' domains to enter non-raft membrane, from which it enters coated pits. The N-terminal domain (residues 23-107) of prion protein is sufficient to direct internalization, an activity dependent upon its initial basic residues (NH(2)-KKRPKP). The effect of this changing membrane environment upon the susceptibility of prion protein to pathogenic conversion is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Neurobiology Group, MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London Guy's Campus, London SEI 1UL, UK.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sunyach
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jen
authors.forename: Juelin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Kathleen T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
authors.forename: Yveline
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Frobert
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grassi
authors.forename: Mary W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: McCaffrey
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Morris
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003034:Coated Pits, Cell-Membrane / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004220:Disulfides / Q000737:chemistry; D004705:Endocytosis; D017261:Glycosylphosphatidylinositols / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D021962:Membrane Microdomains / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018621:PrPC Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011485:Protein Binding; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D004220:Disulfides; D017261:Glycosylphosphatidylinositols; D018621:PrPC Proteins; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens