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Prion protein degradation by lichens of the genus Cladonia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 June 2012

James P. BENNETT ,
Cynthia M. RODRIGUEZ  and
Christopher J. JOHNSON
James P. BENNETT
Affiliation:
USGS National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI, USA. Email: jpbennet@wisc.edu Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
Cynthia M. RODRIGUEZ
Affiliation:
USGS National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI, USA. Email: jpbennet@wisc.edu Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
Christopher J. JOHNSON
Affiliation:
USGS National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI, USA. Email: jpbennet@wisc.edu
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Abstract

It has recently been discovered that lichens contain a serine protease capable of degrading the pathogenic prion protein, the etiological agent of prion diseases such as sheep scrapie and cervid chronic wasting disease. Limited methods are available to degrade or inactivate prion disease agents, especially in the environment, and lichens or their serine protease could prove important for management of these diseases. Scant information is available regarding the presence or absence of the protease responsible for degrading prion protein (PrP) in lichen species and, in this study, we tested the hypothesis that PrP degradation activity in lichens is phylogenetically-based by testing 44 species of Cladonia lichens, a genus for which a significant portion of the phylogeny is well established. We categorized PrP degradation activity among the 44 species (high, moderate, low or none) and found that activity in Cladonia species did not correspond with phylogenetic position of the species. Degradation of PrP did correspond, however, with three classical taxonomic characters within the genus: species with brown apothecia, no usnic acid, and the presence of a cortex. Of the 44 species studied, 18 (41%) had either high or moderate PrP degradation activity, suggesting the protease may be frequent in this genus of lichens.

Keywords

serine proteasetransmissible spongiform encephalopathy
Type
Research Article
Information
The Lichenologist , Volume 44 , Issue 4 , July 2012 , pp. 523 - 531
Creative Commons
This is the work of the US Government and is not subject to copyright protection in the US
Copyright
Copyright © British Lichen Society2012. This is the work of the US Government and is not subject to copyright protection in the US

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