A tetracationic porphyrin with dual anti-prion activity.
iScience
; 26(9): 107480, 2023 Sep 15.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37636075
ABSTRACT
Prions are deadly infectious agents made of PrPSc, a misfolded variant of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) which self-propagates by inducing misfolding of native PrPC. PrPSc can adopt different pathogenic conformations (prion strains), which can be resistant to potential drugs, or acquire drug resistance, hampering the development of effective therapies. We identified Zn(II)-BnPyP, a tetracationic porphyrin that binds to distinct domains of native PrPC, eliciting a dual anti-prion effect. Zn(II)-BnPyP binding to a C-terminal pocket destabilizes the native PrPC fold, hindering conversion to PrPSc; Zn(II)-BnPyP binding to the flexible N-terminal tail disrupts N- to C-terminal interactions, triggering PrPC endocytosis and lysosomal degradation, thus reducing the substrate for PrPSc generation. Zn(II)-BnPyP inhibits propagation of different prion strains in vitro, in neuronal cells and organotypic brain cultures. These results identify a PrPC-targeting compound with an unprecedented dual mechanism of action which might be exploited to achieve anti-prion effects without engendering drug resistance.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Revista:
IScience
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Itália