NR AQAA
AU Borchers,K.
TI Transmissible Spongiforme Encephalopathies: The agent and his characteristics
OT Transmissible Spongiforme Enzephalopathien (TSE): Der Erreger und seine Eigenschaften
QU Fleischwirtschaft 2002 Jul 15; 82(7): 110-2
PT journal article; review; review, tutorial
AB Based on the present knowledge the TSE agent represents a so called prion, an infectious protein, which the result of a conformational change of the physiological isoform. It is discussed that a spontaneous mutation was the basic cause of Srapie and bovine spongiforme encephalopathy (BSE). For the transmission of TSE from one to another species the aminoacid sequence homology, the conformation and probable the glycosylation pattern ist important. In addition a genetic predispostion influences the susceptibility for TSE. Typically for infectious prions is the predominance of (R)-sheets, which is responsible for the extreme resistance against treatment with high temperatures, germicides and proteases and the induction of fibril formations in the brain. In addition, different from all other infectious agents prions can not be grown in vitro and are not inducing an immune response in the host. Since antagonists of the protein-only-hypothesis did not find the suggested virus like agents such as virinos one has to accept infectious proteins as the cause of TSE.
AD Kerstin Borchers (borchers@zedat.fu-berlin.de), Institut für Virologie der FU Berlin, Fachbereich Veterinärmedizin, Königin-Luise-Straße 49, D-14195 Berlin, Deutschland
SP deutsch
PO Deutschland
OR Prion-Krankheiten 2