title: Transmissible mink encephalopathy - review of the etiology of a rare prion disease.
abstract: We review here the history, neuropathology, clinical picture and molecular data on transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME). This obscure disease is of utmost importance as it is plausible that it represents a transmission of hidden bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) to mink in the USA. Of special interest is the similarity of L-type of BSE and TME. Furthermore, experimental molecular studies showed the TME strain-specific in vitro conversion in a cell-free system. In addition, we show here for the first time confocal laser microscopy studies of co-localization of PrPd- amyloid plaques and GFAP-expressing astrocytes.
authors.affiliation: Dept. Molecular Pathology, Medical University Lodz, Czechoslowacka Street 8/10, PL 92-216 Lodz, Poland. ppliber@csk.am.lodz.pl
authors.forename: Paweł P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Liberski
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sikorska
authors.forename: Don
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Guiroy
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Bessen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D016643:Encephalopathy, Bovine Spongiform / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000635:transmission; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008907:Mink; D017096:Prion Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology* / Q000635:transmission*; D011328:Prions / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011328:Prions