title: Degradation and destabilization of abnormal prion protein using alkaline detergents and proteases.
abstract: There is a limited number of reports regarding detergents and proteases inactivating, degrading, or destabilizing abnormal prion protein (PrPSc). In the present study, the effect of alkaline detergents and proteases on the breakdown of PrPSc in the absence of proteinase K (PK) (degradation) and the presence of PK (destabilization) was investigated. PrPSc from brain homogenate of terminally-diseased mice infected with the Chandler strain of scrapie was used as a substrate. A surfactant-free alkaline detergent (pH 11.9, 1% aqueous solution) with potassium hydroxide as the main ingredient and an alkaline detergent (pH 11.9, 1% aqueous solution) containing about 1% surfactant as well as two commercially available alkaline proteases had a destabilizing effect on PrPSc. All these detergents and proteases showed degradative effects on PrPSc under appropriate conditions. These results demonstrate the usefulness of alkaline detergents and proteases for the degradation or destabilization of PrPSc.
authors.affiliation: Biochemical Laboratory, Saraya Co., Ltd., 24-12, Tamate-cho, Kashiwara, Osaka 582-0028, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirata
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Furuta
authors.forename: Kazuyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ikuta
authors.forename: Akikazu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sakudo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D003666:Decontamination / Q000379:methods*; D003902:Detergents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D051379:Mice; D018620:PrPSc Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D011489:Protein Denaturation; D055550:Protein Stability; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003902:Detergents; D018620:PrPSc Proteins; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases