National Institute of Animal Health (NIAH)

Topics in Animal Health Research 2006

08. Prions in the peripheral nerves of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)-affected cattle

Japanese

 Recently, an abnormal isoform of prion protein (PrPSc) was detected in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)-affected cattle. The data showed that the infectivity was not limited to the central nervous system (CNS) of BSE-affected cattle. It has been reported that prions spread to the CNS via the PNS in sheep scrapie, but the pathogenesis of BSE in cattle is less well understood. To determine whether parts of the PNS become positive before or after the CNS is affected, we investigated PrPSc distribution by a highly sensitive western blotting (WB) in the PNS, adrenal gland and CNS of cattle that were orally inoculated with BSE-affected brain and sequentially culled. In experimental BSE-affected cattle, PrPSc was first detected in the CNS and dorsal root ganglia, and subsequently PrPSc accumulation was detected in the peripheral nerve trunks. PrPSc was also detected in the adrenal glands of cattle that showed clinical signs. This study shows that PrPSc is detected in the PNS during the disease course at the same time as, or after, it accumulates in the CNS.
(Prion Research Team, Prion Disease Research Center, TEL +81-29-838-7757)

Reference:

Masujin et al. (2007) J. Gen. Virol. 88 : 1850-1858.

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