Prion infection impairs copper binding of cultured cells

The molecular mechanism of neurodegeneration in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) remains unclear. Using radioactive copper (Cu-64) at physiological concentration, we showed that prion infected cells display a marked reduction in copper binding. The level of full-length prion protein known to bind the metal ion was not modified in infected cells, but a fraction of this protein was not releasable from the membrane by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C. Our results suggest that prion infection modulates copper content at a cellular level and that modification of copper homeostasis plays a determinant role in the neuropathology of TSE.