Serial passage of sheep scrapie inoculum in Suffolk sheep.

Abstract

Scrapie is a naturally occurring fatal neurodegenerative disease of sheep and goats. Susceptibility to the disease is partly dependent upon the genetic makeup of the host. In a recent study, it was shown that sheep intracerebrally inoculated with a US scrapie agent (No. 13-7) developed scrapie and survived for an average of 19 months post inoculation. In the present study, when this scrapie inoculum was further passaged for 3 successive generations, the survival time was reduced by approximately 8 months in scrapie-susceptible (QQ on prion protein gene [PRNP] at codon 171) Suffolk sheep. It is concluded that inoculum No. 13-7 appears to have been stabilized in susceptible (171 QQ) Suffolk sheep and may be considered a specific isolate of sheep scrapie agent in the USA and therefore that it can be used to evaluate other isolates of sheep scrapie in this country.

• Authors: A N Hamir, R A Kunkle, J A Richt, J J Greenlee, J M Miller
• Journal: Veterinary pathology (Vet Pathol) Vol. 46 Issue 1 Pg. 39-44 (Jan 2009) ISSN: 0300-9858 [Print] United States
• PMID: 19112113 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Prions

Topics

• Animals
• Blotting, Western (veterinary)
• Genetic Predisposition to Disease (genetics)
• Immunohistochemistry (veterinary)
• Prions (genetics)
• Scrapie (genetics)
• Serial Passage (veterinary)
• Sheep
• Survival Analysis