Detection of proteinase K-resistant prion protein and infectivity in mouse spleen by 2 weeks after scrapie agent inoculation

• Published in: Journal of general virology Vol. 73; no. 12; pp. 3319 - 3323
• Main Authors: Race, Richard E, Ernst, Darwin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Reading Soc General Microbiol 01-12-1992; Society for General Microbiology
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Brain Chemistry; Endopeptidase K; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Mice; Microbiology; Prions - chemistry; Prions - metabolism; PrPSc Proteins; Replicative cycle, interference, host-virus relations, pathogenicity, miscellaneous strains; Scrapie - physiopathology; Scrapie - transmission; Serine Endopeptidases - pharmacology; Spleen - chemistry; Time Factors; Virology; Spleen; Scrapie; Enzyme; Proteinase; Rodentia; Scrapie agent; Infection; Virus; Proteins; Resistance; Vertebrata; Experimental disease; Mammalia; Mouse; Viral disease; Infectivity
• ISSN: 0022-1317; 1465-2099
• DOI: 10.1099/0022-1317-73-12-3319

National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Hamilton, Montana 59840, U.S.A.
The sequential accumulation of the protease-resistant form of the endogenous prion protein (PrP-res) was compared to levels of scrapie infectivity in the spleen and brain of scrapie-infected mice at various times after inoculation. In mouse spleen PrP-res was detected 1 week after inoculation, and increased 65-fold between 1 and 3 weeks post-inoculation and an additional 15-fold during the next 17 weeks. Infectivity in spleen reached a maximum plateau level by 3 weeks. In contrast, in mouse brain PrP-res was not detected until 8 weeks after inoculation and then increased 200-fold during the next 12 weeks. During this same time, infectivity increased approximately 10000-fold. Therefore, in both spleen and brain of scrapie-infected mice accumulation of PrP-res and infectivity appear to be associated. However, it was not possible to show quantitative correlations between PrP-res detection and infectivity, perhaps owing to the inaccuracy of the infectivity assay.
Received 4 February 1992;
accepted 29 July 1992.