title: Genetic, histochemical and biochemical studies on goat TSE cases from Cyprus.
abstract: Scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) are transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE's) affecting sheep and goats. Susceptibility of goats to scrapie is influenced by polymorphisms of the prion protein gene (PRNP) of the host. Five polymorphisms are associated with reduced susceptibility to TSE's. In the study presented here caprine samples from a scrapie eradication program on Cyprus were genotyped and further characterized using BioRad TeSeE rapid test, histological, immunohistochemical and biochemical methods. In total 42 goats from 20 flocks were necropsied from which 25 goats showed a positive result in the rapid test, a spongiform encephalopathy and an accumulation of pathological prion protein (PrPSc) in the obex. PrPScdeposits were demonstrated in the placenta, peripheral nervous and lymphoreticular system. Two animals showed PrPSc-accumulations in peripheral tissues only. By discriminatory immunoblots a scrapie infection could be confirmed for all cases. Nevertheless, slight deviations in the glycosylation pattern might indicate the presence of different scrapie strains. Furthermore scrapie samples from goats in the current study demonstrated less long term resistance to proteinase K than ovine or caprine BSE control samples. Reduced scrapie susceptibility according to the PRNP genotype was demonstrated (Fishers Exact test, p < 0.05) for the goats with at least one polymorphism (p = 0.023) at the six codons examined and in particular for those with polymorphisms at codon 146 (p = 0.016). This work characterizes scrapie in goats having implications for breeding and surveillance strategies.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald-Isle of Riems, Germany.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Niedermeyer
authors.affiliation: Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald-Isle of Riems, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eiden
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Services, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, 1417, Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Pavlos
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Toumazos
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Services, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, 1417, Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Penelope
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Papasavva-Stylianou
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Services, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, 1417, Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ioannou
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Theodoros
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sklaviadis
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Panagiotidis
authors.affiliation: Department of Infection Biology, Central Veterinary Institute of Wageningen UR, Lelystad, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Langeveld
authors.affiliation: Department of Infection Biology, Central Veterinary Institute of Wageningen UR, Lelystad, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bossers
authors.affiliation: Institute for Hygiene, Westfälische Wilhelms-University and University Hospital Münster, Robert Koch-Strasse 41, 48149, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuczius
authors.affiliation: Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald-Isle of Riems, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaatz
authors.affiliation: Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald-Isle of Riems, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Groschup
authors.affiliation: Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald-Isle of Riems, Germany. Christine.Fast@fli.bund.de.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-0585-2937
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fast
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003535:Cyprus / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D006041:Goats / Q000235:genetics; D017096:Prion Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D000072002:Prion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000072002:Prion Proteins