Arild Espenes

Transportation of prion protein across the intestinal mucosa of scrapie-susceptible and scrapie-resistant sheep.

To determine the mechanisms of intestinal transport of infection, and early pathogenesis, of sheep scrapie, isolated gut‐loops were inoculated to ensure that significant concentrations of scrapie agent would come into direct contact with the relevant ileal structures (epithelial, lymphoreticular, and nervous). Gut loops were inoculated with a scrapie brain pool homogenate or normal brain or sucrose solution. After surgery, animals were necropsied at time points ranging from 15 min to 1 month and at clinical end point. Inoculum‐associated prion protein (PrP) was detected by immunohistochemistry in villous lacteals and in sub‐mucosal lymphatics from 15 min to 3.5 h post‐challenge. It was also detected in association with dendritic‐like cells in the draining lymph nodes at up to 24 h post‐challenge. Replication of infection, as demonstrated by the accumulation of disease‐associated forms of PrP in Peyers patches, was detected at 30 days and sheep developed clinical signs of scrapie at 18–22 months post‐challenge. These results indicate discrepancies between the routes of transportation of PrP from the inoculum and sites of de novo‐generated disease‐associated PrP subsequent to scrapie agent replication. When samples of homogenized inoculum were incubated with alimentary tract fluids in vitro, only trace amounts of protease‐resistant PrP could be detected by western blotting, suggesting that the majority of both normal and abnormal PrP within the inoculum is readily digested by alimentary fluids. Copyright

Mapping PrPSc Propagation in Experimental and Natural Scrapie in Sheep with Different PrP Genotypes

Twenty-one orally inoculated and seven naturally infected sheep with scrapie were examined for PrPSc in peripheral tissues and in the central nervous system (CNS), using immunohistochemistry. In the inoculated group, VRQ (valine at codon 136, arginine at codon 154 and glutamine at codon 171)/VRQ sheep generally had a greater accumulation of the pathologic form of prion protein (PrPSc) in peripheral tissues, as compared with VRQ/ARQ (alanine at codon 136, arginine at codon 154, and glutamine at codon 171) animals at corresponding time points after inoculation. PrPSc was not detected in the ileal Peyers patch, the spleen, the superficial cervical lymph node, and peripheral nervous tissues of several inoculated VRQ/ARQ animals. All inoculated VRQ/VRQ sheep, but only one of eight inoculated VRQ/ARQ animals, were PrPSc-positive in the CNS. Thus, the propagation of PrPSc seemed slower and more limited in VRQ/ARQ animals. Tissue and cellular localization of PrPSc suggested that PrPSc was disseminated through three different routes. PrPSc-positive cells in lymph node sinuses and in lymphatics indicated spreading by lymph. The sequential appearance of PrPSc in the peripheral nervous system and the CNS, with satellite cells as early targets, suggested the periaxonal transportation of PrPSc through supportive cells. Focal areas of vascular amyloid-like PrPSc in the brain of five sheep, suggested the hematogenous dissemination of PrPSc. There was a poor correlation between the amount of PrPSc in the CNS and clinical signs. One subclinically affected sheep showed widespread PrPSc accumulation in the CNS, whereas three sheep had early clinical signs without detectable PrPSc in the CNS. A VV136 (homozygous for valine at codon 136) sheep inoculated with ARQ/ARR (alanine at codon 136, arginine at codon 154, and arginine at codon 171) tissue succumbed to disease, demonstrating successful heterologous transmission. Less susceptible sheep receiving VRQ/VRQ or ARQ/ARR material were PrPSc-negative by immunohistochemistry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and western blot.

The PrP-like protein Doppel gene in sheep and cattle: cDNA sequence and expression

Abstract. cDNAs encoding the ovine and bovine prion protein-like protein Doppel (Dpl) have been cloned. Sequencing revealed cDNAs of 2.85 and 3.31 kb from ovine and bovine testicular tissue, in accordance with observations of single transcripts of 3.2 and 3.6 kb on Northern blots. Sequence alignments showed a very high degree of identity between the sheep and cattle Dpl cDNAs, except for a 0.4-kb stretch in the bovine 3′ untranslated region and the terminal 3′ end of the sequences. The expression pattern of the Dpl gene (Prnd) in adult tissues from both species was compared by Northern blot and RT-PCR analyses. The Prnd gene was expressed strongly in testicular tissue, while low levels of expression were seen in other tissues. The open reading frame of the ovine and bovine sequences encodes a 178-amino acid protein with 95% sequence identity between the two species. Predicted structural features are in close agreement with previous reports for mouse, human, and rat Dpl.

Immune-complex trapping in the splenic ellipsoids of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), immunised with horseradish peroxidase, were given horseradish peroxidase intravenously, and the trapping of antigen in the spleen was followed 1, 24, and 48 h after injection. After 1 h, the localisation of horseradish peroxidase indicated that the antigen had been extensively trapped in the walls of the splenic ellipsoids. The colocalisation of horseradish peroxidase with rainbow trout immunoglobulin M and complement factor 3 was shown with a double immunofluorescence technique and suggested that horseradish peroxidase was trapped in the form of immune complexes. After 24 and 48 h, very little horseradish peroxidase was detected in the ellipsoids, and horseradish peroxidase was mainly found in association with large cells with prominent cytoplasmic extensions. In nonimmunised fish given horseradish peroxidase intravenously, antigen was not detected in ellipsoids. Thus, the observed difference between immunised and nonimmunised trout suggests a specific role for the splenic ellipsoids in rapid immune-complex trapping and invites speculation on its significance in a secondary immune response.

Study of possible combined toxic effects of azaspiracid-1 and okadaic acid in mice via the oral route.

Toxins from the okadaic acid (OA) and azaspiracid (AZA) group cause considerable negative health effects in consumers when present in shellfish above certain levels. The main symptoms, dominated by diarrhoea, are caused by damage to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Even though OA and AZAs exert toxicity via different mechanisms, it is important to find out whether they may enhance the health effects if present together since they act on the same organs and are regulated individually. In this study, the main issue was the possibility of enhanced lethality in mice upon combined oral exposure to OA and AZA1. In addition, pathological effects in several organs and effects on absorption from the GI tract were studied. Although the number of mice was small due to low availability of AZA1, the results indicate no additive or synergistic effect on lethality when AZA1 and OA were given together. Similar lack of increased toxicity was observed concerning pathological effects that were restricted to the GI-tract. OA and AZA1 were absorbed from the GI-tract to a very low degree, and when given together, uptake was reduced. Taken together, these results indicate that the present practice of regulating toxins from the OA and AZA group individually does not present an unwanted increased risk for consumers of shellfish.

Healthy goats naturally devoid of prion protein

Prion diseases such as scrapie in small ruminants, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in man, are fatal neurodegenerative disorders. These diseases result from the accumulation of misfolded conformers of the host-encoded prion protein (PrP) in the central nervous system. To date naturally-occurring PrP free animals have not been reported. Here we describe healthy non-transgenic animals, Norwegian Dairy Goats, lacking prion protein due to a nonsense mutation early in the gene. These animals are predicted to be resistant to prion disease and will be valuable for research and for production of prion-free products.

Yessotoxin as an apoptotic inducer

This work summarises current knowledge on how the marine toxin yessotoxin (YTX) induces apoptosis in different types of cells. The work also addresses perspectives for future research on this topic. YTX triggers apoptosis in a variety of cellular systems including cancer cells. The actual apoptotic pathways are not fully understood and seem to be cell-specific. YTX can induce the mitochondrial pathway in myoblast cell lines, but its potential to activate other signalling pathways and possible cross-talk between them has not been reported. Improvement in our understanding of death signalling induction by YTX may contribute to identifying novel molecular mechanisms of interest for therapeutic applications.

Paraptosis-like cell death induced by yessotoxin

This study shows that BC3H1 myoblast cell lines exposed to 100 nM yessotoxin (YTX) undergo a form of programmed cell death distinct from apoptosis and with features resembling paraptosis. Morphologically, cells treated with YTX reveal extensive cytoplasmic vacuolation, mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum swelling, uncondensed chromatin and cytoskeletal alterations. DNA electrophoresis evidences lack of DNA fragmentation and Western blotting analysis demonstrates activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase JNK/SAPK1. Further characterisation of this form of programmed cell death may have interest within medicine and cancer therapy.

Investigation of the structural and functional features of splenic ellipsoids in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

The ultrastructure of ellipsoids in the spleen of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is described. The endothelium of terminations of arterioles bulged into the lumen, and gaps between the endothelial cells were evident. A continuous basal lamina was not present, and there were extensive interdigitations between the endothelial cells and surrounding reticular cells. The interdigitating processes were rich in microfilaments. Intravenously injected colloidal carbon, approximately 0.03 μm in diameter, was held in the reticular matrix of the ellipsoidal wall and taken up by macrophages that extended cellular processes among the reticular and endothelial cells. The intravenous injection of fluorescent polystyrene microspheres of known diameter showed that microspheres with a diameter of 0.5 or 1.0 μm were localised in the red pulp, whereas microspheres with a diameter of 0.15 μm were retained in ellipsoidal walls. Thus, the terminations of splenic arterioles in rainbow trout were found to be consistent with descriptions of ellipsoids in other vertebrates in that they possessed a speciallised cuboidal endothelium, lacked a continuous basal lamina, were surrounded by a sheath of macrophages and reticular cells, and had a sheath of macrophages and reticular cells, and had a role in the selective filtration and retention of bloodborne particles.

APOPTOSIS IN PHAGOCYTOTIC CELLS OF LYMPHOID TISSUES IN RAINBOW TROUT (ONCORHYNCHUS MYKISS) FOLLOWING ADMINISTRATION OF CLODRONATE LIPOSOMES

Abstract.Macrophage function has been studied in vivo by using liposomes that contain dichloromethylene-bisphosphonate (clodronate liposomes) to deplete macrophage subpopulations. In the present study, the effects of intravenously injected clodronate liposomes on the head kidney and spleen of the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were studied from 1 h to 7 days after injection. The rapid trapping of liposomes in the splenic ellipsoids was followed by depletion of ellipsoidal sheath macrophages and accumulation of particulate material and IgM in the ellipsoidal wall, findings illustrating the importance of ellipsoidal macrophages in the clearance of filtered substances trapped in the reticular matrix of the ellipsoidal wall. A reduced reactivity for acid phosphatase in the spleen and ultrastructural evidence of cell death in phagocytotic cells of the head kidney and spleen supported the selective effect of clodronate liposomes on macrophages in rainbow trout. Apoptotic bodies were prominent ultrastructural features in tissues collected from clodronate-liposome-treated rainbow trout. The increased presence of apoptotic cells in clodronate-liposome-treated trout compared with trout given liposomes containing phosphate-buffered saline was confirmed by using terminal deoxynucleotidyl-transferase-mediated deoxyuridine-triphosphate nick-end-labelling of cells with extensive DNA fragmentation. The characterization of liposome-mediated macrophage depletion in fish provides a useful model for further investigation of piscine macrophage function.