Prion infection impairs copper binding of cultured cells.

The molecular mechanism of neurodegeneration in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) remains unclear. Using radioactive copper ((64)Cu) 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.