Summary
The species specific nature of an antigenic determinant previously discovered in the scrapie form of prion protein (PrPD) from cattle, sheep and mice, was further investigated in normal prion protein (PrPC) from these and other species. This was carried out with eight different anti-peptide sera raised in rabbits against various synthetic peptides representing segments of the amino acid (aa) sequence 101–122 of ovine, bovine, murine and hamster PrP. Anti-peptide serum against a peptide representing aa 107–122 of ovine PrP showed almost specific reaction and crossreacted in immunoblot with caprine and human PrP only. Antisera to the corresponding bovine sequence stained bovine and porcine PrP and to a minor extent PrP of goat, man, cat, and mink, while antiserum to the murine aa sequence reacted with rodent and monkey PrP only. In contrast, antiserum to the corresponding hamster sequence displayed a broader reactivity pattern, just like the four other anti-peptide sera to various ovine and bovine sequences. Antisera were also tested for reactivity with the pathogenic isoforms of PrP of sheep, cow, hamster and mouse and showed generally similar reactivity patterns as by using PrPC. In conclusion, the region close to the actual or putative proteinase K cleavage sites of PrP seems to exhibit high structural variability among mammalian species.
References
Borchelt DR, Taraboulos A, Prusiner SB (1992) Evidence for synthesis of scrapie prion proteins in the endocytic pathway. J Biol Chem 266: 18217–18223
Brown P, Gajdusek DC (1991) The human spongiform encephalopathies: Kuru, Creutzfeld-Jacob disease, and the Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 172: 1–20
Büeler H, Aguzzi A, Sailer A, Greiner RA, Autenried P, Aguet M, Weissmann C (1993) Mice devoid of PrP are resistant to scrapie. Cell 73: 1339–1347
Dawson M, Wells GAH, Parker BNJ, Scott AC (1991) Transmission studies of BSE in cattle, hamsters, pigs and domestic fowl. In: Bradley R, Savey M, Marchant B (eds) Subacute spongiform encephalopathies. Kluwer Academic Press, Dordrecht, pp 25–32
Gibbs CJ, Amyx HL, Bacote A, Masters CL, Gajdusek, DC (1980) Oral transmission of Kuru, Creutzfeld-Jacob disease and scrapie to nonhuman primates. J Infect Dis 142: 205–208
Goldmann W, Hunter N, Foster JD, Salbaum M, Beyreuther K, HOPE J (1990) Two alleles of a neuronal protein gene linked to scrapie in sheep. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 87: 2476–2480
Goldmann W, Hunter N, Martin T, Dawson M, Hope J (1991) Different forms in the PrP gene have five or six copies of a short G-C-rich element within the protein coding exon. J Gen Virol 72: 201–204
Groschup MH, Pfaff E (1993) Studies on a species specific epitope in murine, ovine and bovine prion protein. J Gen Virol 74: 1451–1456
Hilmert H, Diringer H (1984) A rapid and efficient method to enrich SAF-protein from scrapie brains of hamsters. Biosci Rep 4: 165–170
Kimberlin RH (1991) Agent-host interactions and pathogenesis. In: Bradley R, Savey M, Marchant B (eds) Subacute spongiform encephalopathies: Proceedings of a seminar in the CEC Agricultural Research Program, held in Brussels 12–14. Nov. 1990, Kluwer, Dordrecht, pp 137–149
Kretzschmar HA, Neumann M, Riethmüller G, Prusiner SB (1992) Molecular cloning of a mink prion protein. J Gen Virol 73: 2757–2761
Langeveld JPM, Farquar CF, Pochiari M, Birkett C, Bostock C, Meloen RH (1993) Antigenic sites of bovine prion protein. Proceedings of the SVC meeting ‘BSE-Where are we now’ Sept. 14–15th in Brussels
Lerner RA, Green N, Alexander H, Liu R-T, Sutcliffe JG, Shinnock TN (1981) Chemically synthesized peptides prediced from the nucleotide sequence of the hepatitis B virus genome elicit antibodies reactive with the native envelope protein of Dane particles. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 78: 3403–3407
Lowenstein DH, Butler DA, Westaway D, McKinley MP, DeArmond SJ, Prusiner SB (1990) Three hamster species with different scrapie incubation times and neuropathological features encode distinct prion proteins. Mol Cell Biol 10: 1153–1163
Pearson GR, Wyatt JM, Gruffydd-Jones TJ, Hope J, Chong A, Higgins RJ, Scott AC, Wells GAH (1992) Feline spongiform encephalopathy: fibril and PrP studies. Vet Rec 131: 307–310
Prusiner SB, Scott M, Foster D, Pan K-M, Groth D, Mirenda C, Torchia M, Yuang SL, Serban D, Carlson GA, Hoppe PC, Westaway D, DeArmond J (1990) Transgenic studies implicate interactions between homologous PrP isoforms in scrapie prion replication. Cell 63: 673–686
Prusiner SB (1991) Novel properties and biology of scrapie prions. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 172: 233–256
Scott M, Foster D, Mirenda C, Serban D, Coufal F, Wälchli M, Torchia M, Groth D, Carlson G, DeArmond SJ, Westaway D, Prusiner SB (1989) Transgenic mice expressing hamster prion protein produce species specific scrapie infectivity and amyloid plaques. Cell 59: 847–857
Scott M, Groth D, Foster D, Torchia M, Yang S-L, DeArmond SJ, Prusiner SB (1993). Propagation of prions with artificial properties in transgenic mice expressing chimeric PrP genes. Cell 73: 979–988
Wilesmith JW, Ryan JBM, Atkinson MJ (1991) Bovine spongiform encephalopathy: epidemiological studies on the origin. Vet Rec 128: 199–203
Wilesmith JW, Ryan JBM, Hueston WD (1992) Bovine spongiform encephalopathy: case control studies of calf feeding practices and meat and bone meal inclusion in proprietary concentrates. Res Vet Sci 52: 325–331
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Groschup, M.H., Langeveld, J. & Pfaff, E. The major species specific epitope in prion proteins of ruminants. Archives of Virology 136, 423–431 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01321071
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01321071