Plants as vectors for environmental prion transmission

Area of Science:

• Neurodegenerative diseases
• Prion biology
• Environmental science

Background:

• Prions cause fatal neurodegenerative diseases and are highly durable.
• Environmental transmission routes are known for prion diseases like chronic wasting disease and scrapie.
• The role of plants in prion accumulation and transmission was previously unproven.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if plants can accumulate prions.
• To investigate if plants can translocate prions to above-ground tissues.
• To assess if accumulated prions in plants are infectious.

Main Methods:

• Several crop and plant species were grown in media containing prions.
• Prion uptake via roots and translocation to above-ground tissues were analyzed.
• Mice were orally administered plant tissues to test for prion infectivity.

Main Results:

• Plants demonstrated the ability to uptake prions through their roots.
• Prions were successfully translocated to the above-ground tissues of various plant species.
• Oral ingestion of prion-contaminated plant tissues by mice resulted in disease transmission.

Conclusions:

• Plants can accumulate infectious prions in their edible portions.
• Plants may act as environmental vectors for prion diseases.
• Findings impact wildlife conservation, agriculture, and public health strategies for prion disease management.