title: Phenotypic similarity of transmissible mink encephalopathy in cattle and L-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy in a mouse model.
abstract: Transmissible mink encepholapathy (TME) is a foodborne transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) of ranch-raised mink; infection with a ruminant TSE has been proposed as the cause, but the precise origin of TME is unknown. To compare the phenotypes of each TSE, bovine-passaged TME isolate and 3 distinct natural bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) agents (typical BSE, H-type BSE, and L-type BSE) were inoculated into an ovine transgenic mouse line (TgOvPrP4). Transgenic mice were susceptible to infection with bovine-passaged TME, typical BSE, and L-type BSE but not to H-type BSE. Based on survival periods, brain lesions profiles, disease-associated prion protein brain distribution, and biochemical properties of protease-resistant prion protein, typical BSE had a distint phenotype in ovine transgenic mice compared to L-type BSE and bovine TME. The similar phenotypic properties of L-type BSE and bovine TME in TgOvPrP4 mice suggest that L-type BSE is a much more likely candidate for the origin of TME than is typical BSE.
authors.affiliation: Agence Française de Sécurité Sanitaire des Aliments-Lyon, Lyon, France. t.baron@lyon.afssa.fr
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Baron
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bencsik
authors.forename: Anne-Gaëlle
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Biacabe
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Morignat
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Bessen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016643:Encephalopathy, Bovine Spongiform / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D010641:Phenotype; D011328:Prions
chemical_list: D011328:Prions