Can plants serve as a vector for prions causing chronic wasting disease?

Area of Science:

• Environmental science
• Plant biology
• Prion disease research

Background:

• Prions, the infectious agents of chronic wasting disease (CWD), persist in the environment via bodily fluids and decaying carcasses.
• Plants possess the capability to absorb large organic particles, including proteins and microbes, from their surroundings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential uptake and translocation of infectious CWD prions (PrP(TSE)) within wheat plants (Triticum aestivum L.).
• To determine if wheat plants can transport CWD prions from roots to aerial tissues.

Main Methods:

• Wheat roots were exposed to infectious CWD prions (PrP(TSE)) for 24 hours in controlled studies.
• Detection of PrP(TSE) in plant tissues utilized western blot, IDEXX, and Bio-Rad diagnostic assays.
• Recombinant prion protein (PrP(C)) and protease-digested PrP(TSE) were used to assess interactions with wheat roots.

Main Results:

• Recombinant prion protein (PrP(C)) was detected bound to wheat roots but not in stems or leaves.
• Protease-digested CWD prions (PrP(TSE)) interacted with root tissue but were not found in the stem.
• Undigested PrP(TSE) did not associate with the roots, and no significant PrP(TSE) was detected in the stem.

Conclusions:

• Wheat plants may interact with CWD prions at the root level, but evidence suggests limited or undetectable transport to aerial tissues.
• The study indicates that if CWD prions are transported to the stem, it occurs at levels below the detection limits of current diagnostic methods.
• Further investigation is required to fully understand the potential for prion uptake and transport in plants and its implications for disease transmission.