NR AIFL
AU McKinley,M.P.; Masiarz,F.R.; Prusiner,S.B.
TI Reversible chemical modification of the scrapie agent
QU Science 1981 Dec 11; 214(4526): 1259-61
PT journal article
AB The scrapie agent causes a degenerative nervous system disease in sheep and goats. Studies with extensively purified preparations demonstrated that the agent contains a protein that is required for infectivity. Chemical modification of the scrapie agent by diethyl pyrocarbonate reduced the titer 1000-fold. Exposure of the inactivated agent to hydroxylamine, a strong nucleophile, resulted in complete restoration of infectivity. Presumably, nucleophilic residues within a scrapie agent protein undergo carbethoxylation on reaction with diethyl pyrocarbonate, and subsequent addition of hydroxylamine displaces these carbethoxy groups.
MH Animal; Biological Assay; Brain/microbiology; Chemistry; Diethyl Pyrocarbonate/pharmacology; Hamsters; Histidine/pharmacology; *Prions; Ribonucleases/pharmacology; Serum Albumin, Bovine/pharmacology; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.; Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.; Viral Proteins/*isolation & purification/pharmacology
SP englisch
PO USA