National Institute of Animal Health (NIAH)

Topics in Animal Health Research 2011

14. Comparative analysis of L-type BSE prions in Japan and other countries

Japanese

  L-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is an atypical form of BSE which has been identified in many European countries, Canada, and Japan. Japanese L-type BSE (BSE/JP24) was detected in a 14-year-old black Japanese beef cattle. A previous study has shown that this case exhibited an incubation period in bovinized prion protein-overexpressing transgenic mice (TgBoPrP) that differed from those in cases from other countries. To characterise the Japanese L-type BSE prion, we conducted a comparative study using the same line of bovinized prion protein-overexpressing transgenic mice. L-type BSE isolates from Japan, Germany, France, and Canada were intracerebrally inoculated into the mice. All examined L-type BSE isolates were transmitted to TgBoPrP mice, and no clear differences were observed in their biological and biochemical properties. Herein we present evidence that the Japanese and Canadian L-type BSE prions are identical to those from European countries. The fact that identical L-type BSE prions are distributed worldwide is an important insight for devising atypical BSE control measures.
(Prion Disease Research Center)

References:

Masujin K. et al (2012) Prion 6(1):89-93

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