title: Characterization of PrP(Sc) transmission from immune cells to neuronal cells.
abstract: We investigated PrP(Sc) transmission in neuronal cells, spleen cells and several immune cells using an in vitro cell-to-cell transmission system. The transmission of PrP(Sc) in the supernatant of PrP(Sc)-infected neuronal cells was also investigated. We found that PrP(Sc) transmission was more efficient in the cell-to-cell transmission system than in the supernatant-mediated system. PrP(Sc) was more efficiently transmitted from adherent spleen cells to neuronal cells than from floating spleen cells. The adherent spleen cells were composed of macrophages (80%), dendritic cells (8%) and follicular dendritic cells (3%), indicating that macrophages play an important role in PrP(Sc) transmission from immune cells to neuronal cells. Although PrP(Sc) in the immune cells used as donor cells was gradually degraded, the PrP(Sc) transmitted to neuronal cells was observed by Western blot analysis. Investigation of the mechanism of PrP(Sc) transmission between cells represents an important step towards understanding the pathogenesis of prion diseases.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Applied Biological Science, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan.
authors.forename: Yufuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Tetsuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sadaike
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inoshima
authors.forename: Naotaka
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ishiguro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D018620:PrPSc Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D017096:Prion Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018620:PrPSc Proteins