RNA and CuCl2 induced conformational changes of the recombinant ovine prion protein |
| |
Authors: | Meili Liu Shan Yu Jianmin Yang Xiaomin Yin Deming Zhao |
| |
Institution: | (1) National Animal Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Haidian District Yuanmingyuan Xi Lu 2, Beijing, 100094, China;(2) Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA |
| |
Abstract: | Prion diseases are a group of neurodegenerative illnesses caused by conformational conversion of benign, α-helix rich cellular
prion protein (PrPC) into the highly stable, β-sheet rich scrapie prion protein (PrPSc) isoform. To date, the role of RNA on the conformational conversion of ovine prion protein in vitro remains unknown. To examine
the effect of the interaction between RNA and PrPC, conformations of recombinant ovine prion protein PrP23–256 (OvPrP23–256) binding various concentrations of RNA were analyzed by circular dichroism (CD) spectrum. The results indicated that the
conformational conversion of OvPrP23–256 was triggered by RNA with a decrease in α-helix content and increase in β-sheet. Moreover, the conformation of OvPrP23–256 interacting with both RNA and CuCl2 was also examined by CD spectrum, which showed that α-helix content decreased while β-sheet increased dramatically. Proteinase
K digestion assay disclosed that the recombinant ovine PrPC acquired PK resistance after RNA and/or Cu2+ treatment. It confirmed that the RNA/Cu2+ treatment in vitro altered the biochemical properties of ovine PrPC. The implication of this finding, with respect to PrPSc, is that a dysfunctional state of a normal physiological process possibly facilitates diseases. The information gained from
this study may provide useful approaches to study the pathogenesis of prion diseases. |
| |
Keywords: | ovine prion protein RNA conformational change circular dichroism (CD) spectrum CuCl2 proteinase K |
本文献已被 PubMed SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|