We developed a technology for the in vitro amplification of abnormal prion protein (PrPSc) by using baculovirus-derived recombinant prion protein (Bac-PrP). This technology is based on protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA), which has been used to efficiently convert normal prion protein (PrPC) into PrPSc in vitro. The experiments using this amplification technology─PMCA using Bac-PrP (Bac-PMCA)─suggested that glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor modification of PrPC and brain-derived cofactors were essential for the faithful replication of PrPSc in vitro. The Bac-PMCA method is thought to be very useful in finding the brain-derived cofactors involved in the in vitro replication of PrPSc.
(Research Center for Prion Diseases)
References:
Imamura M. et al. (2011) J. Virol. 85 (6): 2582-2588
