title: The polysaccharide scaffold of PrP 27-30 is a common compound of natural prions and consists of alpha-linked polyglucose.
abstract: An inert polysaccharide scaffold identified as a 5-15% component of prion rods (PrP 27-30) is unambiguously distinguishable from the N-glycosyl groups and the GPI anchor of PrP, and consists predominantly of 1,4-linked glucose with some branching via 1,4,6-linked glucose. We show that this polysaccharide scaffold is a common secondary component of prions found in hamster full-length PrP(Sc), prion rods and in mouse ScN2a prions from cell culture. The preparation from prion rods was improved, resulting in a polysaccharide scaffold free of remaining infectivity. Furthermore, we determined the stereochemistry of the glycoside linkages as pre-dominantly if not entirely alpha-glycosidic. The origin of the polysaccharide, its interaction with PrP and its potential relation to glycogen and corpora amylacea are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dumpitak
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beekes
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Weinmann
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Metzger
authors.forename: Konstanze F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Winklhofer
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tatzelt
authors.forename: Detlev
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Riesner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006224:Cricetinae; D005936:Glucans / Q000737:chemistry*; D006031:Glycosylation; D051379:Mice; D015394:Molecular Structure; D018622:PrP 27-30 Protein / Q000737:chemistry*; D011328:Prions / Q000737:chemistry*; D013237:Stereoisomerism
chemical_list: D005936:Glucans; D011328:Prions; D018622:PrP 27-30 Protein