Fate of prions in soil: Degradation of recombinant prion in aqueous extracts from soil and casts of two earthworm species

Taras Y. Nechitaylo; Kenneth N. Timmis; Boris A. Byzov; Alexander V. Kurakov; Elena Belogolova; David L. Jones; Manuel Ferrer; Peter N. Golyshin

doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2010.03.004

Fate of prions in soil: Degradation of recombinant prion in aqueous extracts from soil and casts of two earthworm species

Taras Y. Nechitaylo, Kenneth N. Timmis, Boris A. Byzov, Alexander V. Kurakov, Elena Belogolova, David L. Jones, Manuel Ferrer, Peter N. Golyshin

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Prions represent the active agent in transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) diseases and can remain infective to mammals even after prolonged periods in soil. The influence of mesofauna on prion dispersal and degradation in soil, however, remains unknown. In this study the effect of earthworms on the retention/dissemination of TSEs in soil was evaluated using a model recombinant prion protein (recPrP) and aqueous extracts from soil and fresh casts of two earthworm species, Lumbricus terrestris and Aporrectodea caliginosa. Our results showed that earthworm gut-derived enzymes did not enhance the degradation of recPrP in comparison to soil, even though non-prion related proteolytic activity was higher in fresh worm excrements than in soil samples. Complete degradation of recPrP occurred in the aqueous extracts from all samples within up to 6 days at +15 °C. The proteolytic enzymes responsible for degrading recPrP were inhibited by aprotinin and leupeptin and studies in pure cultures suggested these were most probably of soil microbial origin.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1168-1171
Number of pages	4
Journal	Soil Biology and Biochemistry
Volume	42
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2010.03.004
Publication status	Published - Jul 2010
Externally published	Yes

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title = "Fate of prions in soil: Degradation of recombinant prion in aqueous extracts from soil and casts of two earthworm species",

abstract = "Prions represent the active agent in transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) diseases and can remain infective to mammals even after prolonged periods in soil. The influence of mesofauna on prion dispersal and degradation in soil, however, remains unknown. In this study the effect of earthworms on the retention/dissemination of TSEs in soil was evaluated using a model recombinant prion protein (recPrP) and aqueous extracts from soil and fresh casts of two earthworm species, Lumbricus terrestris and Aporrectodea caliginosa. Our results showed that earthworm gut-derived enzymes did not enhance the degradation of recPrP in comparison to soil, even though non-prion related proteolytic activity was higher in fresh worm excrements than in soil samples. Complete degradation of recPrP occurred in the aqueous extracts from all samples within up to 6 days at +15 °C. The proteolytic enzymes responsible for degrading recPrP were inhibited by aprotinin and leupeptin and studies in pure cultures suggested these were most probably of soil microbial origin.",

keywords = "Bacteria, Degradation, Earthworm, Fungi, Prion protein, Proteases, TSE",

author = "Nechitaylo, {Taras Y.} and Timmis, {Kenneth N.} and Byzov, {Boris A.} and Kurakov, {Alexander V.} and Elena Belogolova and Jones, {David L.} and Manuel Ferrer and Golyshin, {Peter N.}",

year = "2010",

month = jul,

doi = "10.1016/j.soilbio.2010.03.004",

language = "English",

volume = "42",

pages = "1168--1171",

journal = "Soil Biology and Biochemistry",

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T1 - Fate of prions in soil

T2 - Degradation of recombinant prion in aqueous extracts from soil and casts of two earthworm species

AU - Nechitaylo, Taras Y.

AU - Timmis, Kenneth N.

AU - Byzov, Boris A.

AU - Kurakov, Alexander V.

AU - Belogolova, Elena

AU - Jones, David L.

AU - Ferrer, Manuel

AU - Golyshin, Peter N.

PY - 2010/7

Y1 - 2010/7

N2 - Prions represent the active agent in transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) diseases and can remain infective to mammals even after prolonged periods in soil. The influence of mesofauna on prion dispersal and degradation in soil, however, remains unknown. In this study the effect of earthworms on the retention/dissemination of TSEs in soil was evaluated using a model recombinant prion protein (recPrP) and aqueous extracts from soil and fresh casts of two earthworm species, Lumbricus terrestris and Aporrectodea caliginosa. Our results showed that earthworm gut-derived enzymes did not enhance the degradation of recPrP in comparison to soil, even though non-prion related proteolytic activity was higher in fresh worm excrements than in soil samples. Complete degradation of recPrP occurred in the aqueous extracts from all samples within up to 6 days at +15 °C. The proteolytic enzymes responsible for degrading recPrP were inhibited by aprotinin and leupeptin and studies in pure cultures suggested these were most probably of soil microbial origin.

AB - Prions represent the active agent in transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) diseases and can remain infective to mammals even after prolonged periods in soil. The influence of mesofauna on prion dispersal and degradation in soil, however, remains unknown. In this study the effect of earthworms on the retention/dissemination of TSEs in soil was evaluated using a model recombinant prion protein (recPrP) and aqueous extracts from soil and fresh casts of two earthworm species, Lumbricus terrestris and Aporrectodea caliginosa. Our results showed that earthworm gut-derived enzymes did not enhance the degradation of recPrP in comparison to soil, even though non-prion related proteolytic activity was higher in fresh worm excrements than in soil samples. Complete degradation of recPrP occurred in the aqueous extracts from all samples within up to 6 days at +15 °C. The proteolytic enzymes responsible for degrading recPrP were inhibited by aprotinin and leupeptin and studies in pure cultures suggested these were most probably of soil microbial origin.

KW - Bacteria

KW - Degradation

KW - Earthworm

KW - Fungi

KW - Prion protein

KW - Proteases

KW - TSE

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DO - 10.1016/j.soilbio.2010.03.004

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SN - 0038-0717

VL - 42

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JO - Soil Biology and Biochemistry

JF - Soil Biology and Biochemistry

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ER -

Fate of prions in soil: Degradation of recombinant prion in aqueous extracts from soil and casts of two earthworm species

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