title: A comparative study of immunohistochemical methods for detecting abnormal prion protein with monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies.
abstract: Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies are associated with the accumulation of abnormal prion protein (PrP(Sc)) in the central nervous system which can be detected immunohistochemically. Using a monoclonal antibody (L42) to an epitope on the first alpha-helix of ruminant PrP, we compared previously reported immunohistochemical antigen unmasking and "visualization" systems. In addition, a variety of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies to other epitopes on ruminant PrP were assessed. Antigen unmasking by hydrated autoclaving and proteinase K treatments, and antigen detection with L42 and an avidin-biotin complex system, enabled intra- and extra-neuronal PrP(Sc)to be demonstrated in scrapie-affected sheep carrying three different PrP alleles, as well as in cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
authors.affiliation: Federal Research Centre for Virus Diseases of Animals, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hardt
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Baron
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Groschup
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology*; D001921:Brain / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D002417:Cattle; D006224:Cricetinae; D016643:Encephalopathy, Bovine Spongiform / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques / Q000662:veterinary*; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018620:PrPSc Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D011817:Rabbits; D012608:Scrapie / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000939:Epitopes; D018620:PrPSc Proteins