Ovine scrapie: Follow-up of sheep belonging to an endemic scrapie-infected flock

There is a close similarity between the unconventional virus-induced ovine scrapie and human Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Since infection might be transmitted orally, the ovine production of an endemically scrapie-infected farm was studied. About 80% of the annual production are sold (50% as butcher-meat, 30% as breeding animals), and scrapie appears in 20% of the sheep kept on the farm. Was the same proportion of butcher-meat animals scrapie-infected? Since the scrapie agent has been detected in “clinically normal” lambs, the same problem occurs with breeding-sheep and “apparently healthy” animals: are they carriers of the pathogenic agent? Are they responsible for the spread of the ovine disease and/or of the human disease?     

超声处理对羊瘙痒病脑组织中PrPSc聚集状态的影响

目的 研究超声处理对感染羊瘙痒症仓鼠脑组织中PrP^Sc聚集状态的影响，寻找产生PrP^Sc低聚体的条件。方法 裂解液制备脑组织提取物，用各种超声条件处理不同阶段的脑组织提取物；以蛋白酶消化后的Western blot方法和图象分析系统观测PrP^Sc蛋白的分布和聚集状态。结果 适当的超声处理(15s共30次)可增加脑组织匀浆上清中PrP^Sc含量1．29～1．58倍；同样条件下超声处理可明显增加羊瘙痒因子263K感染仓鼠脑组织匀浆上清中PrP蛋白总量，而对正常对照仓鼠脑组织匀浆上清中PrP蛋白总量影响不大；对经常规高速离心获得的PrP^Sc的超声处理显示约90％的PrP^Sc存在于离心上清液中。结论 对感染动物脑组织进行超声处理可增加PrP^Sc的提取量，利于实验室检测。适当的超声处理可破碎大的相对分子质量的PrP^Sc聚集物，产生小的相对分子质量的PrP^Sc产物。     

Brain histamine metabolism in transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (Scrapie)

Summary The histamine (Hi) content and the activity of L-histidine decarboxylase (HD) in brains of scrapie infected hamsters were measured. No significant changes in Hi levels in particular brain areas were found when compared to controls. Decreased activity of HD was found in hypothalamus (p<0.02). Increased activity of the enzyme was observed in rest of brain, which consisted mainly of thalamus and striatum (p<0.05).     

Polymorphisms of the prion protein gene in sheep of Inner Mongolia,China

Polymorphisms of the prion protein gene (Prnp), especially the amino acid residue alterations at codons 136, 154, and 174, in sheep have been found to be associated with susceptibility to scrapie disease. We investigated Prnp polymorphisms in three local sheep breeds in Inner Mongolia, China. Blood samples were collected from 46 Ujumqin, 34 Sunite, and 22 Mongolian sheep. The genetic DNA of blood samples was extracted, amplified and sequenced, and amino acid alignment was determined. Polymorphisms were detected at 8 codons, among which M157I, Q220H, and R223K have not been previously reported. The frequency of the amino acid residues ARQ/ARQ at codons 136, 154, and 171, respectively, which is associated with medium-high susceptibility to scrapie, was 74.5%, and the frequency of scrapie-resistant genotype ARR/ARR was 7.9%. The highly susceptible genotype VRQ/VRQ at these codons as not detected from the tested sheep. Of the three sheep breeds, Ujumqin sheep had the highest frequency (15.2%) of scrapie-resistant amino acid sequence, ARR/ARR at codons 136, 154, and 171, respectively, accounting for 87.5% sheep that carry these polymorphisms. Our findings are of special importance for both live sheep export and sheep breeding.     

不同剂量羊瘙痒因子263K颅内感染仓鼠临床终末期脑中GFAP表达的研究

目的 研究不同剂量羊瘙痒因子263 K经颅内注射感染仓鼠后,在发病的终末期星形胶质细胞增生程度是否与注射剂量及潜伏期长短有关.方法 以胶质纤维酸性蛋白(glial fibrill aryacidic protein,GFAP)作为星形胶质细胞增生的分子标志物,采用Western Blot和免疫组化方法检测感染仓鼠终末期脑匀浆和脑组织病理切片中的GFAP表达,经定量分析比较各感染剂量组间是否存在差异.结果与正常对照相比,不同剂量感染仓鼠发病终末期脑组织GFAP阳性细胞数量和总GFAP含量均明显升高,但各感染剂量组间无显著差异.结论 不同感染剂量羊瘙痒因子263K经颅内注射感染仓鼠在发病终末期脑中星形胶质细胞的增生程度相似,与感染剂量及潜伏期无关联性.     

Evaluation of neurodegeneration in scrapie-infected animals by selective methods that detect cellular degeneration

Scrapie is a fatal neurodegenerative disease of sheep and goats. The precise details of neuronal and neurite degeneration in scrapie-infected animals remain unknown. Using specific silver staining methods, we compared the neurodegeneration caused by treatment of rats with kainic acid (KA) or ibogaine (IBO) to the neuropathology observed in mice infected with the C602 strain of scrapie. As reported previously, KA resulted in extensive silver labeling of neurons, especially in the cortex, putamen and hippocampus. IBO silver labeling was observed only in small clusters of Purkinje neurons in the paravermal region of the cerebellum. However, in scrapie-infected mice, a few silver stained neurons (differing from the dark degenerating neurons observed following neurotoxic exposure) were found in layer II of cortex, cingulate cortex, zona incerta, thalamus and hypothalamus. Some silver grains were observed in glial-like cells, especially those in the paraventricular region. Degenerating axons were positive for silver staining and were found in the cortex, cingulate cortex, corpus callosum, habenulae, septum, fornix, thalamus, caudate putamen and a few in fasciculus retroflexus and substantia nigra. Our results suggest that the limbic system is one of the important loci for the neurodegenerative effect of at least some scrapie strains.     

Topographic distribution of scrapie amyloid-immunoreactive plaques in chronic wasting disease in captive mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus)

Summary Chronic wasting disease (CWD), a progressive neurological disorder of captive mule deer, blacktailed deer, hybrids of mule deer and white-tailed deer and Rocky Mountain elk, is characterized neuropathologically by widespread spongiform change of the neuropil, intracytoplasmic vacuolation in neuronal perikarya and astrocytic hypertrophy and hyperplasia. We report the topographic distribution of amyloid plaques reactive to antibodies prepared against scrapie amyloid in CWD-affected captive mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus). Scrapie amyloid-immunoreactive plaques were found in the cerebral gray and white matter, in deep subcortical nuclei, in isolation or in clusters in areas of vacuolation, and perivascularly, in subpial and subependymal regions. In the cerebellum, immunoreactive amyloid plaques were observed in the molecular, pyramidal and granular layers. Scrapie amyloid-immunoreactive deposits were also seen in neuronal perikarya. Furthermore, amyloid plaques in CWD-affected captive mule deer were alcianophilic at 0.3 M magnesium chloride indicating the presence of weakly to moderately sulfated glycosaminoglycans. Our data corroborate that CWD in captive mule deer belongs to the subacute virus spongiform encephalopathies.     

Transport of prion protein across the blood-brain barrier

The cellular form of the prion protein (PrP^c) is necessary for the development of prion diseases and is a highly conserved protein that may play a role in neuroprotection. PrP^c is found in both blood and cerebrospinal fluid and is likely produced by both peripheral tissues and the central nervous system (CNS). Exchange of PrP^c between the brain and peripheral tissues could have important pathophysiologic and therapeutic implications, but it is unknown whether PrP^c can cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Here, we found that radioactively labeled PrP^c crossed the BBB in both the brain-to-blood and blood-to-brain directions. PrP^c was enzymatically stable in blood and in brain, was cleared by liver and kidney, and was sequestered by spleen and the cervical lymph nodes. Circulating PrP^c entered all regions of the CNS, but uptake by the lumbar and cervical spinal cord, hypothalamus, thalamus, and striatum was particularly high. These results show that PrP^c has bidirectional, saturable transport across the BBB and selectively targets some CNS regions. Such transport may play a role in PrP^c function and prion replication.     

Simultaneous detection of eight single nucleotide polymorphisms in the ovine prion protein gene

Amino acid polymorphisms in the prion protein gene (PrP) affect the susceptibility of sheep to scrapie, a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE). In particular, amino acid substitutions at codons 136, 154 and 171 of the ovine PrP gene are associated with different degrees of susceptibility to the classical form of scrapie, caused by 'typical' scrapie strains. Existing genotyping tests for scrapie susceptibility normally interrogate only the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) most relevant to 'typical' strains. Recently, however, a number of novel variants of the scrapie agent have been discovered. The ability of these new, 'atypical' scrapie variants to infect sheep that are resistant to 'typical' variants has raised concerns about the reduction in genetic variability that may result from intense selection for resistance to classical scrapie. Furthermore, a growing interest in a potential role for specific PrP genotypes in modulating performance traits is also driving a move toward more extensive characterization of haplotypes at the PrP locus. Here, we describe a single-tube method for the interrogation of eight SNPs within seven codons (112, 136, 141, 154, 171, 231 and 241) of the ovine PrP gene. This method is as accurate as sequencing, yet more affordable, and can easily be automated for high-throughput sample screening. Moreover, it can be modified to accommodate genetic variations that are found in local and heritage breeds.     

Chimeric porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome viruses reveal full function of genotype 1 envelope proteins in the backbone of genotype 2

Earlier studies indicated that transgenic (tg) mice engineered to express prion protein (PrP) lacking the glycophosphatidylinositol (GPI^−/−) membrane anchor formed abnormal proteinase-resistant prion (PrPsc) amyloid deposits in their brains and hearts when infected with the RML strain of murine scrapie. In contrast, RML scrapie infection of normal mice with a GPI-anchored PrP did not deposit amyloid with PrPsc in the brain or the heart. Here we report that scrapie-infected GPI^−/− PrP tg mice also deposit PrP and transmissible infectious material in the gut, kidneys, and islets of Langerhans. Similar to previously reported amyloid deposits in the brain and heart, amyloid deposits were found in the gut; however, no amyloid deposited in the islets. By high-resolution electron microscopy, we show PrP is located primarily in α cells and also β cells. Islets contain abundant insulin and there is no abnormality in glucose metabolism in infected GPI^−/− PrP tg mice.