title: Rapid typing of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy strains with differential ELISA.
abstract: The bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) agent has been transmitted to humans, leading to variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Sheep and goats can be experimentally infected by BSE and have been potentially exposed to natural BSE; however, whether BSE can be transmitted to small ruminants is not known. Based on the particular biochemical properties of the abnormal prion protein (PrPsc) associated with BSE, and particularly the increased degradation induced by proteinase K in the N terminal part of PrPsc, we have developed a rapid ELISA designed to distinguish BSE from other scrapie strains. This assay clearly discriminates experimental ovine BSE from other scrapie strains and was used to screen 260 transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE)-infected small ruminant samples identified by the French active surveillance network (2002/2003). In this context, this test has helped to identify the first case of natural BSE in a goat and can be used to classify TSE isolates based on the proteinase K sensitivity of PrPsc.
authors.affiliation: Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
authors.forename: Stéphanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nugier
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Morel
authors.forename: Hervé
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Boutal
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Créminon
authors.forename: Sylvie L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Benestad
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Andréoletti
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lantier
authors.forename: Jean-Marc
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bilheude
authors.forename: Muriel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Feyssaguet
authors.forename: Anne-Gaëlle
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Biacabe
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Baron
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grassi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D016643:Encephalopathy, Bovine Spongiform / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D006041:Goats; D011328:Prions / Q000145:classification*; D012608:Scrapie / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012756:Sheep
chemical_list: D011328:Prions