Reduced proteinase K resistance and infectivity of prions after pressure treatment at 60 degrees C.
High hydrostatic pressure is a mild technology compared with high temperatures and is commonly used for food pasteurization. Crude brain homogenates of terminally diseased hamsters infected with scrapie 263K strain were heated at 60 degrees C and/or pressurized up to 1000 MPa for 2 h. Prion proteins were analysed for their proteinase K sensitivity using a Western blot technique. PrP(Sc) pressurized with 500 MPa or above proved to be proteinase K sensitive. To test the remaining infectivity of the pressurized material, hamsters were infected intracerebrally. Results showed a greatly delayed onset of disease (from 80 up to 153 days) when samples had been pressurized at 500 MPa and above. An increase in the survival rate was also observed: 47 % survival over 180 days was seen following infection with homogenates pressurized at 700-1000 MPa.
Fernández García
Avelina
A
Federal Research Centre for Nutrition, Haid-und-Neustr. 9, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
Heindl
Philipp
P
Federal Research Centre for Nutrition, Haid-und-Neustr. 9, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
Voigt
Heiner
H
Federal Research Centre for Virus Diseases of Animals, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 28, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
Büttner
Matthias
M
Federal Research Centre for Virus Diseases of Animals, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 28, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
Wienhold
Daniel
D
Federal Research Centre for Virus Diseases of Animals, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 28, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
Butz
Peter
P
Federal Research Centre for Nutrition, Haid-und-Neustr. 9, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
Stärke
Joachim
J
Federal Research Centre for Nutrition, Haid-und-Neustr. 9, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
Tauscher
Bernhard
B
Federal Research Centre for Nutrition, Haid-und-Neustr. 9, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
Pfaff
Eberhard
E
Federal Research Centre for Virus Diseases of Animals, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 28, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D006224:Cricetinae; D004203:Disinfection / Q000379:methods; D019286:Endopeptidase K / Q000378:metabolism*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006874:Hydrostatic Pressure; D018620:PrPSc Proteins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D012608:Scrapie / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality
D018620:PrPSc Proteins; D019286:Endopeptidase K