Facilitated cross-species transmission of prions in extraneural tissue

Prions are infectious pathogens essentially composed of PrP(Sc), an abnormally folded form of the host-encoded prion protein PrP(C). Constrained steric interactions between PrP(Sc) and PrP(C) are thought to provide prions with species specificity and to control cross-species transmission into other host populations, including humans. We compared the ability of brain and lymphoid tissues from ovine and human PrP transgenic mice to replicate foreign, inefficiently transmitted prions. Lymphoid tissue was consistently more permissive than the brain to prions such as those causing chronic wasting disease and bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Furthermore, when the transmission barrier was overcome through strain shifting in the brain, a distinct agent propagated in the spleen, which retained the ability to infect the original host. Thus, prion cross-species transmission efficacy can exhibit a marked tissue dependence.     

Coincident scrapie infection and nephritis lead to urinary prion excretion

Prion infectivity is typically restricted to the central nervous and lymphatic systems of infected hosts, but chronic inflammation can expand the distribution of prions. We tested whether chronic inflammatory kidney disorders would trigger excretion of prion infectivity into urine. Urinary proteins from scrapie-infected mice with lymphocytic nephritis induced scrapie upon inoculation into noninfected indicator mice. Prionuria was found in presymptomatic scrapie-infected and in sick mice, whereas neither prionuria nor urinary PrP(Sc) was detectable in prion-infected wild-type or PrP(C)-overexpressing mice, or in nephritic mice inoculated with noninfectious brain. Thus, urine may provide a vector for horizontal prion transmission, and inflammation of excretory organs may influence prion spread.     

Synthetic mammalian prions

Recombinant mouse prion protein (recMoPrP) produced in Escherichia coli was polymerized into amyloid fibrils that represent a subset of beta sheet-rich structures. Fibrils consisting of recMoPrP(89-230) were inoculated intracerebrally into transgenic (Tg) mice expressing MoPrP(89-231). The mice developed neurologic dysfunction between 380 and 660 days after inoculation. Brain extracts showed protease-resistant PrP by Western blotting; these extracts transmitted disease to wild-type FVB mice and Tg mice overexpressing PrP, with incubation times of 150 and 90 days, respectively. Neuropathological findings suggest that a novel prion strain was created. Our results provide compelling evidence that prions are infectious proteins.     

Prevention of scrapie pathogenesis by transgenic expression of anti-prion protein antibodies

Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and bovine spongiform encephalopathy are initiated by extracerebral exposure to prions. Although prion transmission from extracerebral sites to the brain represents a potential target for prophylaxis, attempts at vaccination have been limited by the poor immunogenicity of prion proteins. To circumvent this, we expressed an anti-prion protein (anti-PrP) mu chain in Prnp(o/o) mice. Transgenic mice developed sustained anti-PrP titers, which were not suppressed by introduction of Prnp+ alleles. Transgene expression prevented pathogenesis of prions introduced by intraperitoneal injection in the spleen and brain. Expression of endogenous PrP (PrP(C)) in the spleen and brain was unaffected, suggesting that immunity was responsible for protection. This indicates the feasibility of immunological inhibition of prion disease in vivo.     

Human prion protein with valine 129 prevents expression of variant CJD phenotype

Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) is a unique and highly distinctive clinicopathological and molecular phenotype of human prion disease associated with infection with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)-like prions. Here, we found that generation of this phenotype in transgenic mice required expression of human prion protein (PrP) with methionine 129. Expression of human PrP with valine 129 resulted in a distinct phenotype and, remarkably, persistence of a barrier to transmission of BSE-derived prions on subpassage. Polymorphic residue 129 of human PrP dictated propagation of distinct prion strains after BSE prion infection. Thus, primary and secondary human infection with BSE-derived prions may result in sporadic CJD-like or novel phenotypes in addition to vCJD, depending on the genotype of the prion source and the recipient.     

Infectious prions in the saliva and blood of deer with chronic wasting disease

A critical concern in the transmission of prion diseases, including chronic wasting disease (CWD) of cervids, is the potential presence of prions in body fluids. To address this issue directly, we exposed cohorts of CWD-na?ve deer to saliva, blood, or urine and feces from CWD-positive deer. We found infectious prions capable of transmitting CWD in saliva (by the oral route) and in blood (by transfusion). The results help to explain the facile transmission of CWD among cervids and prompt caution concerning contact with body fluids in prion infections.     

抗朊蛋白单克隆抗体的免疫学特性研究

以牛、羊重组朊蛋白(PrP)、正常牛、羊的脑组织匀浆、牛海绵状脑病(BSE)及羊痒病阳性的脑组织匀浆及切片为抗原,测定9株抗朊蛋白单克隆抗体的ELISA、免疫印迹及免疫组化等免疫学反应特性.结果表明:5株单抗可用于BSE及羊痒病的ELISA、免疫印迹检测;3株单抗可用于BSE及羊痒病的免疫组化检测;1株单抗在免疫印迹试验中只与羊痒病PrP~(Sc)的核心片段反应,结合该株单抗所识别的抗原表位PrP第78～93氨基酸(aa),证实BSE与羊痒病PrP~(Sc)的蛋白酶K消化位点存在差异.     

Neurotoxicity and neurodegeneration when PrP accumulates in the cytosol

Changes in prion protein (PrP) folding are associated with fatal neurodegenerative disorders, but the neurotoxic species is unknown. Like other proteins that traffic through the endoplasmic reticulum, misfolded PrP is retrograde transported to the cytosol for degradation by proteasomes. Accumulation of even small amounts of cytosolic PrP was strongly neurotoxic in cultured cells and transgenic mice. Mice developed normally but acquired severe ataxia, with cerebellar degeneration and gliosis. This establishes a mechanism for converting wild-type PrP to a highly neurotoxic species that is distinct from the self-propagating PrP(Sc) isoform and suggests a potential common framework for seemingly diverse PrP neurodegenerative disorders.     

Cell biology. Sowing the protein seeds of prion propagation

Ever since Prusiner first proposed his radical "protein-only" hypothesis to explain how certain infectious proteins (prions) are transmitted from one mammal to another in the absence of DNA or RNA, scientists have been trying to prove him right (or wrong). The study of mammalian prions, such as those causing Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans, scrapie in sheep and mad cow disease in cattle, has been slow to yield answers. However, as Tuite discusses in his Perspective, the Sup35p and Ure2p proteins of yeast that exist in both normal and infectious forms are providing evidence that the "protein-only" hypothesis may be right (Sparrer et al.).     

Depleting neuronal PrP in prion infection prevents disease and reverses spongiosis

The mechanisms involved in prion neurotoxicity are unclear, and therapies preventing accumulation of PrPSc, the disease-associated form of prion protein (PrP), do not significantly prolong survival in mice with central nervous system prion infection. We found that depleting endogenous neuronal PrPc in mice with established neuroinvasive prion infection reversed early spongiform change and prevented neuronal loss and progression to clinical disease. This occurred despite the accumulation of extraneuronal PrPSc to levels seen in terminally ill wild-type animals. Thus, the propagation of nonneuronal PrPSc is not pathogenic, but arresting the continued conversion of PrPc to PrPSc within neurons during scrapie infection prevents prion neurotoxicity.     

细胞型朊蛋白PrP~C与浮舰蛋白flotillin功能的研究进展

朊蛋白和脂筏是当今研究的热点。细胞型朊蛋白(PrPC)能够通过构象转变生成致病型的朊病毒(PrPSc),导致海绵状脑病的发生,但是目前关于PrPC的转变机制还不清楚。PrPC也是重要的信号转导蛋白,引发众多的信号转导事件。Flotillin属于新被命名为SPFH(stomatin/prohibitin/flotillin/HflK/C)的蛋白家族,是重要的脂筏标识性蛋白,它们不仅被动地担当着非胞膜窖脂筏的脚架,为蛋白质的相互作用和蛋白质复合体的组装以及信号转导提供平台,而且本身还主动地扮演着信号蛋白的角色,在许多的细胞事件中发挥重要作用。PrPC与flotillin能够发生相互作用,flotillin蛋白为PrPC的跨膜信号转导和PrPC转变成PrPSc提供了环境。本文重点综述了近5年来关于PrPC和flotillin蛋白功能的研究进展,尤其是信号转导方面的研究。     

Prions in skeletal muscles of deer with chronic wasting disease

The emergence of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer and elk in an increasingly wide geographic area, as well as the interspecies transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy to humans in the form of variant Creutzfeldt Jakob disease, have raised concerns about the zoonotic potential of CWD. Because meat consumption is the most likely means of exposure, it is important to determine whether skeletal muscle of diseased cervids contains prion infectivity. Here bioassays in transgenic mice expressing cervid prion protein revealed the presence of infectious prions in skeletal muscles of CWD-infected deer, demonstrating that humans consuming or handling meat from CWD-infected deer are at risk to prion exposure.     

传染性法氏囊病毒HN株的分离鉴定及应用免疫荧光检测IBDV

河南郑州地区某养鸡场的三黄肉鸡出现精神沉郁,拉水样白色粪便,剖检可见法氏囊水肿、出血;肾脏出血肿大,有尿酸盐沉淀,呈花斑状;腿肌、胸肌有出血斑点;腺胃与肌胃交界处出血。经病毒分离、鸡胚接种、琼脂扩散试验和细胞接种试验,最后确诊为传染性法氏囊病。同时,采集病料,制备冰冻切片,建立一种检测病料中的IBDV免疫荧光检测方法。     

人工感染猪链球菌对小鼠肝脏药物代谢酶的抑制作用

 【目的】评价猪链球菌感染对小鼠肝脏药物代谢酶活性的影响。【方法】120只雄性ICR小鼠,随机分为对照组和2个感染组,后者分别人工感染猪链球菌2型强毒力株HA9801和弱毒力株SS2-H,于感染不同时间测定小鼠体内肝脏药物代谢酶活性的变化。【结果】感染HA9801菌株的小鼠,细胞色素P450（CytP450）、细胞色素b5（Cytb5）、NADP-细胞色素C还原酶（NCCD）活性从第3日开始极显著（P＜0.01）或显著(P＜0.05)降低,第10日时降至最低（NCCD于第5天时最低）,第15日时活性有所增强,但仍显著低于对照组;红霉素-N-脱甲基酶（ERND）活性从第5日开始极显著地降低（P＜0.01）,变化趋势与CytP450、Cytb5相似;氨基比林-N-脱甲基酶（AND）活性虽有变化,但与对照组比较,差异不显著（P＞0.05）;苯胺-4-羟化酶（AH）活性在第10日时开始极显著地下降（P＜0.01）,第15日时稍有上升。感染SS2-H的小鼠,CytP450、Cytb5的活性从第5日开始显著降低(P＜0.05),第10日降至最低;NCCD、ERND和AH活性第10日时显著降低(P＜0.05),而AND活性在感染期间未发生显著变化（P＞0.05）。HA9801感染组与SS2-H感染组小鼠的谷胱甘肽巯基转移酶（－GSH-S-T）活性从感染后第3日开始即显著(P＜0.05)降低。HA9801感染组与SS2-H感染组比较,CytP450、Cytb5活性在感染前期均有极显著（第3日、第5日）差异（P＜0.01）,而在感染后期,差异不显著（P＞0.05）。微粒体蛋白浓度各组差异不显著（P＞0.05）。【结论】猪链球菌感染可调节小鼠肝脏药物代谢酶CytP450、Cytb5、NCCD、ERND、AH和GSH-S-T活性,故在感染期间选择药物进行治疗时,应制定合理的给药方案,避免药物毒性反应产生,加重病情。     

传染性法氏囊病疫苗免疫种鸡后子代雏鸡的免疫学变化

应用现代免疫学新技术对传染性法氏囊病 (IBD)疫苗免疫种鸡后 ,其子代雏鸡外周血液和免疫器官组织的免疫学变化进行了动态研究。结果发现 :传染性法氏囊病疫苗免疫种鸡后 ,其子代雏鸡外周血液 T、B细胞数量和 Ig G,Ig M,Ig A含量及免疫器官组织的 T细胞、Ig G,Ig M,Ig A抗体生成细胞数量均不同程度地高于未免疫的相应对照雏鸡 ,表明 IBD疫苗免疫母鸡后 ,子代雏鸡外周血液和免疫器官组织的体液免疫和细胞免疫功能明显增强。而传染性法氏囊病超强毒攻击子代雏鸡后 ,未免疫的子代雏鸡 ,外周血液和免疫器官组织的上述各项指标均明显低于疫苗免疫的子代雏鸡 ,这与 IBDV感染雏鸡后 ,其免疫器官组织严重损害 ,淋巴细胞变性坏死等有关 ,也是导致感染雏鸡免疫抑制的基础     

Porphyrin and phthalocyanine antiscrapie compounds

The transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are fatal, neurodegenerative diseases for which no effective treatments are available. The likelihood that a bovine form of TSE has crossed species barriers and infected humans underscores the urgent need to identify anti-TSE drugs. Certain cyclic tetrapyrroles (porphyrins and phthalocyanines) have recently been shown to inhibit the in vitro formation of PrP-res, a protease-resistant protein critical for TSE pathogenesis. We now report that treatment of TSE-infected animals with three such compounds increased survival time from 50 to 300%. The significant inhibition of TSE disease by structurally dissimilar tetrapyrroles identifies these compounds as anti-TSE drugs.     

东山峰农场茶白星病发生规律研究

试验于1980～1990年在湖南石门县东山峰农场进行.结果表明:茶白星病菌主要在活体病叶上越冬,在枯死病叶上虽可越冬.但生活力低;气温10℃以上,相对湿度80%以上,病菌孢子遇新梢芽叶便可侵入;发生高峰随降雨和温、湿度变化而变化,早春嫩梢芽叶和雨、湿为该病流行的必备条件.东山峰农场每年5月上旬至6月上旬有一次为害高峰.     

南方樱桃谷种鸭主要流行疫病的调查及分析

为了解樱桃谷种鸭不同生长饲养阶段主要传染病的流行情况,对中国南方地区饲养的不同日龄的樱桃谷种鸭开展了重要病原的感染调查。结果显示,4周龄内的育雏期樱桃谷种鸭主要发生鸭传染性浆膜炎、鸭Ⅰ型病毒性肝炎和鸭大肠杆菌病,5~21周龄的育成期樱桃谷种鸭主要为鸭大肠杆菌、鸭疫里默氏杆菌、鸭圆环病毒感染,鸭霍乱和新城疫也时有发生,产蛋期樱桃谷种鸭主要发生鸭大肠杆菌病,同时还有坦布苏病毒病和鸭圆环病毒感染。可见,近年来中国南方樱桃谷鸭群疫病发生日趋复杂,形势严峻,且不同生长阶段的疫病发生情况不尽相同,为樱桃谷种鸭主要流行疫病的防控提供科学依据。     

传染性法氏囊病病毒dsRNA核酸提取

用免疫沉淀法从感染鸡法氏囊组织中分离传染性法氏囊病病毒（ＩＢＤＶ），用差速离心法从感染的鸡胚成纤维细胞（ＣＥＦ）中分离ＩＢＤＶ，再从分离的ＩＢＤＶ中抽提ｄｓＲＮＡ。在ｄｓＲＮＡ提取物受ＤＮＡ降解产物影响时，可用ＤＮａｓｅⅠ消化去除，核酸再经琼脂糖凝胶电泳纯化。     

构树叶提取物体外抗病毒活性研究

[目的]研究构树叶提取物的抗病毒活性。[方法]采用MTT法,观察构树叶的水、75%乙醇和50%丙酮提取物及不同给药方式对NDV、IBDV、ILTV和IBV等病毒感染的鸡胚成纤维细胞(CEF)活性的影响,探讨构树叶提取物体外抗病毒活性及其作用机制。[结果]乙醇和丙酮提取物能显著提高NDV感染的CEF细胞活性,丙酮提取物能显著提高ILTV和IBV感染的CEF细胞活性,但对IBDV诱导的CEF细胞病变无影响。经丙酮提取物预处理的CEF细胞对NDV或ILTV感染的抵抗力呈上升趋势。[结论]构树提取物中的有效成分可能通过阻断病毒对宿主细胞的识别和粘附发挥其抗病毒活性。