NR AXVZ
AU Schneider,J.; Bakke,B.; Johnson,C.; McKenzie,D.; Aiken,J.M.
TI Degradation of Prion Protein by Earthworm Fibrinolytic Enzyme
QU International Conference - Prion 2007 (26.-28.9.2007) Edinburgh International Conference Centre, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK - Book of Abstracts: Epidemiology, Risk Assessment and Transmission P04.68
IA http://www.prion2007.com/pdf/Prion Book of Abstracts.pdf
PT Konferenz-Poster
AB Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in cervids and scrapie in sheep can be transmitted via environmental sources. There is evidence that infectious agent can persist in the environment for long periods and still be capable of disease spread. We have demonstrated that soil is a strong candidate for the environmental reservoir of prion infectious agent. Earthworms that inhabit the upper soil layer and leaf litter have multiple enzymes, earthworm fibrinolytic enzymes (EFE), capable of breaking down a wide range of organic material. This study was set up to test whether earthworms can break down purified abnormal prion protein. To address this question, we used an earthworm homogenate and a purified commercial earthworm enzyme. Both of these solutions were incubated in the presence of infectious agent and found to significantly reduce abnormal prion protein levels. This study shows, with respect to a prioncontaminated environment, that earthworms could play a role in neutralizing infectivity in that environment. In addition, EFE may provide a natural means for degrading abnormal protein.
AD J. Schneider, B. Bakke, C. Johnson, D. McKenzie, J. Aiken, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Comparative Biosciences, USA
SP englisch
PO Schottland