Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 15, 2025
09:50
Real-time Quaking-induced Conversion Assay for Detection of CWD Prions in Fecal Material
Published on: September 29, 2017
14.1K
Cervid Prion Protein Polymorphisms: Role in Chronic Wasting Disease Pathogenesis
Maria Immaculata Arifin1,2,3, Samia Hannaoui1,2,3, Sheng Chun Chang1,2,3
1Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|March 6, 2021
Summary
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) susceptibility in cervids is influenced by prion protein (PrP) gene variations. These genetic differences affect how animals develop CWD, offering partial but not complete resistance.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Science
- Genetics
- Prion Diseases
Background:
- Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal prion illness affecting cervids.
- Animal susceptibility to CWD is influenced by genetic factors, specifically variations in the prion protein (PrP) gene.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of prion protein (PrP) polymorphisms on Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) susceptibility in cervids.
- To understand how PrP gene variations influence CWD pathogenesis and prion conversion.
Main Methods:
- In vivo studies in susceptible cervids.
- In vitro studies examining prion protein conversion.
- Transgenic mouse models expressing cervid PrP sequences.
Main Results:
- PrP polymorphisms significantly affect the conversion of endogenous prion protein (PrPC) to infectious prions (PrPSc).
- Specific polymorphisms influence the emergence of distinct prion strains.
- Studies indicate polymorphisms modify PrP epitopes and affect PrPC stability, impacting conversion efficiency.
Conclusions:
- PrP polymorphisms play a crucial role in modulating CWD susceptibility in cervids.
- While most polymorphisms reduce susceptibility, none confer absolute resistance.
- Understanding these genetic factors is vital for predicting, controlling, and preventing CWD transmission.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
03:03Amyloid Fibrils
11.1K
Amyloid fibrils are aggregates of misfolded proteins. Under most circumstances, misfolded proteins are either refolded by chaperone proteins or degraded by the proteasome. However, in the case of a mutation or a disease, these proteins can accumulate to form large clusters and often further assemble to form elongated fibers, called fibrils.
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen. In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining,...
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen. In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining,...
11.1K
01:29Subviral Agents
293
Subviral agents are infectious entities that resemble viruses but lack one or more viral components, such as a capsid or essential replication machinery. These agents include viroids, prions, and satellites, each possessing distinct structural and functional characteristics that influence their mode of infection and replication.Viroids are the simplest subviral agents, consisting of circular, single-stranded RNA molecules without a protein coat. They exclusively infect plants, relying entirely...
293