Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 2, 2026
Monitoring Immune Cells Trafficking Fluorescent Prion Rods Hours after Intraperitoneal Infection
Published on: November 19, 2010
PrP expression level and sensitivity to prion infection
Jean-Yves Douet1, Caroline Lacroux, Fabien Corbière
1INRA, UMR 1225, Interactions Hôtes Agents Pathogènes, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, Toulouse, France.
Abstract:
Mice overexpressing the prion protein (PrP) sequence from various host species are widely used for measuring infectious titers in prion disease. However, the impact that the transgene expression level might have on the susceptibility to infection raises some concerns about the final biological relevance of these models. Here we report that endpoint titration of a sheep scrapie isolate in sheep and in mice overexpressing the ovine PrP results in similar estimates of the infectious titer.
Insights
Transgenic mouse models expressing prion protein (PrP) are common for prion disease research. This study found that PrP-overexpressing mice and sheep yield similar prion infectious titer measurements, validating these models for prion disease studies.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Infectious Diseases
- Genetics
Background:
- Transgenic mouse models overexpressing prion protein (PrP) are crucial for quantifying prion infectious titers.
- Concerns exist regarding how transgene expression levels affect susceptibility and the biological relevance of these prion disease models.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of transgene expression levels on the biological relevance of prion protein (PrP)-overexpressing mouse models.
- To compare infectious titer estimates between sheep and PrP-overexpressing mice using a sheep scrapie isolate.
Main Methods:
- Endpoint titration of a sheep scrapie isolate.
- Infection studies conducted in sheep and in mice genetically engineered to overexpress ovine PrP.
Main Results:
- Endpoint titration yielded comparable estimates of infectious titer for the sheep scrapie isolate in both sheep and mice overexpressing ovine PrP.
- This suggests that PrP transgene expression levels in mice do not significantly skew prion titer measurements.
Conclusions:
- Mice overexpressing the ovine prion protein (PrP) are a biologically relevant model for measuring infectious titers of sheep scrapie.
- The findings support the continued use of these transgenic models in prion disease research, enhancing the reliability of titer measurements.
