title: Distinct prion proteins in short and long scrapie incubation period mice.
abstract: The Prn-i gene, controlling scrapie incubation period, is linked to or congruent with the murine prion protein (PrP) gene, Prn-p. In prototypic mouse strains with long (l/Ln) and short (NZW) incubation periods, Prn-p transcription is initiated at similar multiple sites. The predicted NZW and l/Ln PrP proteins differ at codons 108 and 189. Codon 189, highly conserved in mammals, lies within a polymorphic BstEll site that is retained in 17 mouse strains known to have short or intermediate incubation times, but is absent in l/Ln and two other inbred mice with long incubation times. Codon 108 in mice with short or intermediate incubation times encodes Leu; in mice with long incubation times it encodes Phe. The correlation of PrP sequence with length of scrapie incubation period suggests, but does not formally prove, congruency between Prn-p and Prn-i.
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003062:Codon; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D018622:PrP 27-30 Protein; D011328:Prions / Q000235:genetics*; D012608:Scrapie / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D003062:Codon; D011328:Prions; D014764:Viral Proteins; D018622:PrP 27-30 Protein