Molecular mechanisms mediating the neuroproyective effects of quinacrine and minocycline on cell death induced by the prion protein fragment 90-231 (hPrP90-231)

Abstract

The effects of quinacrine and minocycline on the toxicity induced by hPrP90-231 were studied. By mild thermal denaturation, hPrP90-231 can be converted in a toxic PrPSc-like structure affecting the survival of SH-SY5Y cells. Quinacrine and minocycline prevented hPrP90-231-induced toxicity interfering with different mechanisms: protective effects of quinacrine are mediated by the binding to the fragment that abolished hPrP90-231 structural changes and cell internalization, whereas, minocycline reverted MAP kinase neurotoxic signaling exerted by the prion fragment.

Keywords

• prion protein, quinacrine, minocycline