title: Transmissibility of Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome in rodent models: New insights into the molecular underpinnings of prion infectivity.
abstract: Prion diseases, or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, have revealed the bewildering phenomenon of transmissibility in neurodegenerative diseases. Hence, the experimental transmissibility of prion-like neurodegenerative diseases via template directed misfolding has become the focus of intense research. Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease (GSS) is an inherited prion disease associated with mutations in the prion protein gene. However, with the exception of a few GSS cases with P102L mutation characterized by co-accumulation of protease-resistant PrP core (PrPres) of ∼21 kDa, attempts to transmit to rodents GSS associated to atypical misfolded prion protein with ∼8 kDa PrPreshave been unsuccessful. As a result, these GSS subtypes have often been considered as non-transmissible proteinopathies rather than true prion diseases. In a recent study we inoculated bank voles with GSS cases associated with P102L, A117V and F198S mutations and found that they transmitted efficiently and produced distinct pathological phenotypes, irrespective of the presence of 21 kDa PrPresin the inoculum. This study demonstrates that GSS is a genuine prion disease characterized by both transmissibility and strain variation. We discuss the implications of these findings for the understanding of the heterogeneous clinic-pathological phenotypes of GSS and of the molecular underpinnings of prion infectivity.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety , Istituto Superiore di Sanità , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Romolo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nonno
authors.affiliation: a Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety , Istituto Superiore di Sanità , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Angelo Di Bari
authors.affiliation: a Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety , Istituto Superiore di Sanità , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Agrimi
authors.affiliation: a Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety , Istituto Superiore di Sanità , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pirisinu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016098:Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker Disease / Q000635:transmission*; D051379:Mice; D009154:Mutation; D011328:Prions / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*
chemical_list: D011328:Prions
keywords: Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease; PrPC; PrPSc; neurodegenerative diseases; prion infectivity; protein misfolding; strain