title: Transmission of systemic AA amyloidosis in animals.
abstract: Amyloidoses are a group of protein-misfolding disorders that are characterized by the deposition of amyloid fibrils in organs and/or tissues. In reactive amyloid A (AA) amyloidosis, serum AA (SAA) protein forms deposits in mice, domestic and wild animals, and humans that experience chronic inflammation. AA amyloid fibrils are abnormal β-sheet-rich forms of the serum precursor SAA, with conformational changes that promote fibril formation. Extracellular deposition of amyloid fibrils causes disease in affected animals. Recent findings suggest that AA amyloidosis could be transmissible. Similar to the pathogenesis of transmissible prion diseases, amyloid fibrils induce a seeding-nucleation process that may lead to development of AA amyloidosis. We review studies of possible transmission in bovine, avian, mouse, and cheetah AA amyloidosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Aging Biology, Institute of Pathogenesis and Disease Prevention, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto 390-8621, Japan. Email: keiichih@shinshu-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ishiguro
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Higuchi
mesh_terms: D002612:Acinonyx; D000682:Amyloid / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000635:transmission; D001717:Birds; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D000682:Amyloid; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein
keywords: AA amyloidosis; amyloid-enhancing factor; bird; cattle; cheetah; mouse; prion-like transmission; serum amyloid A