Distribution of prion protein in the ileal Peyer's patch of scrapie-free lambs and lambs naturally and experimentally exposed to the scrapie agent.
A sensitive immunohistochemical procedure was used to investigate the presence of prion protein (PrP) in the ileal Peyer's patch of PrP-genotyped lambs, including scrapie-free lambs and lambs naturally and experimentally exposed to the scrapie agent. The tyramide signal amplification system was used to enhance the sensitivity of conventional immunohistochemical procedures to show that PrP was widely distributed in the enteric nervous plexus supplying the gut wall. In scrapie-free lambs, PrP was also detected in scattered cells in the lamina propria and in the dome and interfollicular areas of the Peyer's patch. In the follicles, staining for PrP was mainly confined to the capsule and cells associated with vascular structures in the light central zone. In lambs naturally exposed to the scrapie agent, staining was prominent in the dome and neck region of the follicles and was also found to be associated with the follicle-associated epithelium. Similar observations were made in lambs that had received a single oral dose of scrapie-infected brain material from sheep with a homologous and heterologous PrP genotype 1 and 5 weeks previously. These studies show that the ileal Peyer's patch in young sheep may be an important site of uptake of the scrapie agent and that the biology of this major gut-associated lymphoid tissue may influence the susceptibility to oral infection in sheep. Furthermore, these studies suggest that homology or heterology between PrP genotypes or the presence of PrP genotypes seldom associated with disease does not impede uptake of PrP.
Heggebø
Ragna
R
Department of Morphology, Genetics and Aquatic Biology1 and Department of Biochemistry, Physiology and Nutrition2, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, PO Box 8146 Dep., N-0033, Oslo, Norway.
Press
Charles McL
CM
Department of Morphology, Genetics and Aquatic Biology1 and Department of Biochemistry, Physiology and Nutrition2, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, PO Box 8146 Dep., N-0033, Oslo, Norway.
Gunnes
Gjermund
G
Department of Morphology, Genetics and Aquatic Biology1 and Department of Biochemistry, Physiology and Nutrition2, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, PO Box 8146 Dep., N-0033, Oslo, Norway.
Inge Lie
Kai
K
Department of Morphology, Genetics and Aquatic Biology1 and Department of Biochemistry, Physiology and Nutrition2, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, PO Box 8146 Dep., N-0033, Oslo, Norway.
Tranulis
Michael A
MA
Department of Morphology, Genetics and Aquatic Biology1 and Department of Biochemistry, Physiology and Nutrition2, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, PO Box 8146 Dep., N-0033, Oslo, Norway.
Ulvund
Martha
M
Department of Sheep and Goat Research, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Kyrkjevegen 332/334, 4300 Sandnes, Norway3.
Groschup
Martin H
MH
Federal Research Centre for Virus Diseases of Animals, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 28, 72076 Tübingen, Germany4.
Landsverk
Thor
T
Department of Morphology, Genetics and Aquatic Biology1 and Department of Biochemistry, Physiology and Nutrition2, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, PO Box 8146 Dep., N-0033, Oslo, Norway.
D000818:Animals; D005784:Gene Amplification; D005838:Genotype; D007082:Ileum / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D010581:Peyer's Patches / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D011328:Prions / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D012608:Scrapie / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D012756:Sheep
D011328:Prions