Interaction of prion protein with acetylcholinesterase: potential pathobiological implications in prion diseases

The prion protein (PrP) binds to various molecular partners, but little is known about their potential impact on the pathogenesis of prion diseases. Here, we show that PrP can interact in vitro with acetylcholinesterase (AChE), a key protein of the cholinergic system in neural and non-neural tissues. This heterologous association induced aggregation of monomeric PrP and modified the structural properties of PrP amyloid fibrils. Following its recruitment into PrP fibrils, AChE loses its enzymatic activity and enhances PrP-mediated cytotoxicity. Using several truncated PrP variants and specific tight-binding AChE inhibitors (AChEis), we then demonstrate that the PrP-AChE interaction requires two mutually exclusive sub-sites in PrP N-terminal domain and an aromatic-rich region at the entrance of AChE active center gorge. We show that AChEis that target this site impair PrP-AChE complex formation and also limit the accumulation of pathological prion protein (PrPSc) in prion-infected cell cultures. Furthermore, reduction of AChE levels in prion-infected heterozygous AChE knock-out mice leads to slightly but significantly prolonged incubation time. Finally, we found that AChE levels were altered in prion-infected cells and tissues, suggesting that AChE might be directly associated with abnormal PrP. Our results indicate that AChE deserves consideration as a new actor in expanding pathologically relevant PrP morphotypes and as a therapeutic target

Sheep and Goat BSE Propagate More Efficiently than Cattle BSE in Human PrP Transgenic Mice

A new variant of Creutzfeldt Jacob Disease (vCJD) was identified in humans and linked to the consumption of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)-infected meat products. Recycling of ruminant tissue in meat and bone meal (MBM) has been proposed as origin of the BSE epidemic. During this epidemic, sheep and goats have been exposed to BSE-contaminated MBM. It is well known that sheep can be experimentally infected with BSE and two field BSE-like cases have been reported in goats. In this work we evaluated the human susceptibility to small ruminants-passaged BSE prions by inoculating two different transgenic mouse lines expressing the methionine (Met) allele of human PrP at codon 129 (tg650 and tg340) with several sheep and goat BSE isolates and compared their transmission characteristics with those of cattle BSE. While the molecular and neuropathological transmission features were undistinguishable and similar to those obtained after transmission of vCJD in both transgenic mouse lines, sheep and goat BSE isolates showed higher transmission efficiency on serial passaging compared to cattle BSE. We found that this higher transmission efficiency was strongly influenced by the ovine PrP sequence, rather than by other host species-specific factors. Although extrapolation of results from prion transmission studies by using transgenic mice has to be done very carefully, especially when human susceptibility to prions is analyzed, our results clearly indicate that Met129 homozygous individuals might be susceptible to a sheep or goat BSE agent at a higher degree than to cattle BSE, and that these agents might transmit with molecular and neuropathological properties indistinguishable from those of vCJD. Our results suggest that the possibility of a small ruminant BSE prion as vCJD causal agent could not be ruled out, and that the risk for humans of a potential goat and/or sheep BSE agent should not be underestimated

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome associated with COVID-19: An Emulated Target Trial Analysis.

RATIONALE: Whether COVID patients may benefit from extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) compared with conventional invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) remains unknown. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the effect of ECMO on 90-Day mortality vs IMV only Methods: Among 4,244 critically ill adult patients with COVID-19 included in a multicenter cohort study, we emulated a target trial comparing the treatment strategies of initiating ECMO vs. no ECMO within 7 days of IMV in patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (PaO2/FiO2 <80 or PaCO2 ≥60 mmHg). We controlled for confounding using a multivariable Cox model based on predefined variables. MAIN RESULTS: 1,235 patients met the full eligibility criteria for the emulated trial, among whom 164 patients initiated ECMO. The ECMO strategy had a higher survival probability at Day-7 from the onset of eligibility criteria (87% vs 83%, risk difference: 4%, 95% CI 0;9%) which decreased during follow-up (survival at Day-90: 63% vs 65%, risk difference: -2%, 95% CI -10;5%). However, ECMO was associated with higher survival when performed in high-volume ECMO centers or in regions where a specific ECMO network organization was set up to handle high demand, and when initiated within the first 4 days of MV and in profoundly hypoxemic patients. CONCLUSIONS: In an emulated trial based on a nationwide COVID-19 cohort, we found differential survival over time of an ECMO compared with a no-ECMO strategy. However, ECMO was consistently associated with better outcomes when performed in high-volume centers and in regions with ECMO capacities specifically organized to handle high demand. This article is open access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives License 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Remanufacturing business model experimentation in fashion and textiles : Learnings from a pilot project.

Adapting a circular system through business model experimentation can generate profit and sustainable growth for fashion firms. Business model experimentation explores novel opportunities to be at the forefront of transforming existing markets. Remanufacturing is one circular strategy that entails the process of recovering both raw material and value from end-of-life products for the production of new items. Remanufacturing in the context of business model experimentation is a promising solution in the fashion and textile industry to drive the transition into a circular economy. Through case study research the phenomenon of remanufacturing business model experimentation within the fashion and textile industry is investigated. The case phenomenon is investigated by means of the Re:workwear project, in which the brand Cheap Monday uses discarded workwear for a remanufactured collection next to its common collection. The focus of the study is on remanufacturing business model experimentation alongside the brand’s business-as-usual and decisive factors of this phenomenon. The processes and -steps within experimentation were analysed through semi-structured interviews with various involved parties of the supply chain. A framework combining the Business Model Canvas and the stepwise approach of business model experimentation by Bocken et al. (2017) is developed and applied throughout the research. It is found that (1) motivation and scope, (2) input material, (3) flexibility, (4) stakeholder collaboration and (5) system development are decisive factors for remanufacturing business model experimentation. Further research is necessary to investigate the phenomenon in other settings and within a variety of other firms in the industry in order to test the findings and validate the generalisability

Remanufacturing business model experimentation in fashion and textiles : Learnings from a pilot project.

Adapting a circular system through business model experimentation can generate profit and sustainable growth for fashion firms. Business model experimentation explores novel opportunities to be at the forefront of transforming existing markets. Remanufacturing is one circular strategy that entails the process of recovering both raw material and value from end-of-life products for the production of new items. Remanufacturing in the context of business model experimentation is a promising solution in the fashion and textile industry to drive the transition into a circular economy. Through case study research the phenomenon of remanufacturing business model experimentation within the fashion and textile industry is investigated. The case phenomenon is investigated by means of the Re:workwear project, in which the brand Cheap Monday uses discarded workwear for a remanufactured collection next to its common collection. The focus of the study is on remanufacturing business model experimentation alongside the brand’s business-as-usual and decisive factors of this phenomenon. The processes and -steps within experimentation were analysed through semi-structured interviews with various involved parties of the supply chain. A framework combining the Business Model Canvas and the stepwise approach of business model experimentation by Bocken et al. (2017) is developed and applied throughout the research. It is found that (1) motivation and scope, (2) input material, (3) flexibility, (4) stakeholder collaboration and (5) system development are decisive factors for remanufacturing business model experimentation. Further research is necessary to investigate the phenomenon in other settings and within a variety of other firms in the industry in order to test the findings and validate the generalisability

The adsorption of a substituted benzene, the ethynyl-trifluoro-toluene on Si(100)-2 x 1

International audienceThe adsorption of 3-ethynyl-trifluoro-toluene (ETFT) on Si(100)-2 x 1 surface in ultra high vacuum is studied in the low coverage regime, through a joint experimental and theoretical approach. The STM images of both filled and empty states revealed few distinct adsorption configurations. On the basis of Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations the STM images were simulated and three main adsorption configurations were identified, with a predominance of di-sigma bonded species that leave the benzene ring unreacted. A discussion of the reactivity of the reconstructed silicon surface towards benzene derivatives is proposed by comparing the adsorption of ETFT close related molecules, like styrene and phenylacetylene. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Heterogeneity and architecture of pathological prion protein assemblies: time to revisit the molecular basis of the prion replication process?

Prions are proteinaceous infectious agents responsible for a range of neurodegenerative diseases in animals and humans. Prion particles are assemblies formed from a misfolded, β-sheet rich, aggregation-prone isoform (PrPSc) of the host-encoded cellular prion protein (PrPC). Prions replicate by recruiting and converting PrPC into PrPSc, by an autocatalytic process. PrPSc is a pleiomorphic protein as different conformations can dictate different disease phenotypes in the same host species. This is the basis of the strain phenomenon in prion diseases. Recent experimental evidence suggests further structural heterogeneity in PrPSc assemblies within specific prion populations and strains. Still, this diversity is rather seen as a size continuum of assemblies with the same core structure, while analysis of the available experimental data points to the existence of structurally distinct arrangements. The atomic structure of PrPSc has not been elucidated so far, making the prion replication process difficult to understand. All currently available models suggest that PrPSc assemblies exhibit a PrPSc subunit as core constituent, which was recently identified. This review summarizes our current knowledge on prion assembly heterogeneity down to the subunit level and will discuss its importance with regard to the current molecular principles of the prion replication process

Three-Dimensional Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization in Mouse Embryos Using Repetitive Probe Sequences

Chapitre 31International audienceA common problem in research laboratories that study the mammalian embryo is the limited supply of live material. For this reason, new methods are constantly being developed and existing methods for in vitro models using cells in culture are being adapted to represent embryogenesis. Three-dimensional fluorescence in situ hybridization (3D-FISH) is an important tool to study where genomic sequences are positioned within nuclei without interfering with this 3D organization. When used in the embryo, this technique provides vital information about the distribution of specific sequences in relation to embryonic nuclear substructures such as nucleolar precursor bodies and chromocenters. In this chapter, we will present a detailed description of FISH in order to perform 3D-FISH in the early preimplantation murine embryos

Heterogeneity and Architecture of Pathological Prion Protein Assemblies: Time to Revisit the Molecular Basis of the Prion Replication Process?

Prions are proteinaceous infectious agents responsible for a range of neurodegenerative diseases in animals and humans. Prion particles are assemblies formed from a misfolded, &#946;-sheet rich, aggregation-prone isoform (PrPSc) of the host-encoded cellular prion protein (PrPC). Prions replicate by recruiting and converting PrPC into PrPSc, by an autocatalytic process. PrPSc is a pleiomorphic protein as different conformations can dictate different disease phenotypes in the same host species. This is the basis of the strain phenomenon in prion diseases. Recent experimental evidence suggests further structural heterogeneity in PrPSc assemblies within specific prion populations and strains. Still, this diversity is rather seen as a size continuum of assemblies with the same core structure, while analysis of the available experimental data points to the existence of structurally distinct arrangements. The atomic structure of PrPSc has not been elucidated so far, making the prion replication process difficult to understand. All currently available models suggest that PrPSc assemblies exhibit a PrPSc subunit as core constituent, which was recently identified. This review summarizes our current knowledge on prion assembly heterogeneity down to the subunit level and will discuss its importance with regard to the current molecular principles of the prion replication process

Biomedizin und Menschenwürde : Stellungnahmen von Ulrich Eibach, Santiago Ewig, Sabina Laetitia Kowalewski, Volker Herzog, Gerhard Höver, Thomas Sören Hoffmann und Ludger Kühnhardt

Die Diskussion um die Folgen biomedizinischer Entwicklungen wird unter dem Betrachtungswinkel unterschiedlicher Fakultäten in ganz Europa und darüber hinaus kontrovers geführt. Im Kern einer kritischen Ausrichtung der Argumente steht die Frage nach den Auswirkungen der Wissenschaften auf die Würde des Menschen. Vertreter unterschiedlicher Fachrichtungen der Rheinischen Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn nehmen in diesem Discussion Paper des Zentrum für Europäische Integrationsforschung zum Zusammenhang von Biomedizin und Menschenwürde kritisch Stellung. Sie stellen die Diskussion damit in den Kontext der Suche nach den künftigen Koordinaten der europäischen Identität und des Wertebewußtseins in Europa