Transmission of Atypical Bovine Prions to Mice
Author Information
Author(s): Béringue Vincent, Herzog Laëtitia, Reine Fabienne, Le Dur Annick, Casalone Cristina, Vilotte Jean-Luc, Laude Hubert
Primary Institution: Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Jouy-en-Josas, France
Hypothesis
To assess risk for cattle-to-human transmission of prions that cause uncommon forms of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), we inoculated mice expressing human PrP Met129 with field isolates.
Conclusion
Atypical L-type bovine prions can propagate in human PrP transgenic mice with no significant transmission barrier, while H-type prions failed to infect these mice.
Supporting Evidence
- L-type prions showed a 100% attack rate in the mice.
- H-type prions did not infect any of the mice.
- Transmission of classical BSE required multiple passages to show virulence.
- PrPres accumulation was observed in all L-type infected mice.
Takeaway
This study shows that some cow prions can spread to humans through mice, but others can't. It's like some germs can make you sick, while others can't.
Methodology
Mice expressing human prion protein were inoculated with infected bovine brain tissue to assess prion transmission.
Limitations
The study primarily focused on specific prion strains and may not represent all possible prion interactions.
Participant Demographics
Mice expressing human PrP Met129.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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