Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Fibrils from brains of cows with new cattle disease contain scrapie-associated protein

  • Letter
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

During the past two years, more than 1,000 cases of a neurological disorder of cattle, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)1, have been confirmed from farms throughout Great Britain. The neurological signs and brain pathology of BSE resemble those produced in other species by the pathogens of scrapie and related disorders. The discovery of fibrils similar to scrapie-associated fibrils in detergent extracts of BSE-affected brain supported the clinical and pathological diagnosis of the disease1, but has been controversial. Scrapie-associated fibrils are found in brain extracts of all species affected by scrapie and diseases caused by related pathogens2,3. They are pathological aggregates of a neuronal membrane protein termed PrP4–6 and a protease-resistant form of PrP7–9 is a molecular marker of scrapie-associated fibrils. In this report, we show the major protein of BSE fibrils is the bovine homologue of PrP as judged by its size, protease resistance, immunoreactivity, lectin binding and partial N-terminal protein sequence. This confirms that BSE is a scrapie-like disease.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Wells, G. A. H. et al. Vet. Rec. 121, 419–420 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Merz, P. A., Somerville, R. A., Wisniewski, H. M. & Iqbal, K. Acta neuropath. 65, 63–74 (1981).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Merz, P. A., Somerville, R. A., Wisniewski, H. M., Manuelidis, L. & Manuelidis, E. Nature 306, 474–476 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Diringer, H. et al. Nature 306, 376–478 (1983).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Hope, J. et al. EMBO J. 5, 2591–2597 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Merz, P. A., Kascsak, R. J., Rubenstein, R., Carp, R. I. & Wisniewski, H. M. J. Virol. 61, 42–49 (1987).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  7. Bolton, D. C., McKinley, M. P. & Prusiner, S. B. Science 218, 1309–1311 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. McKinley, M. P., Bolton, D. C. & Prusiner, S. B. Cell 35, 57–62 (1983).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Prusiner, S. B. et al. Cell 35, 349–359 (1983).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Gibson, P. H., Somerville, R. A., Fraser, H., Foster, J. D. & Kimberlin, R. H. Vet. Rec. 120, 125–127 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Dawson, M., Mansley, L. M., Hunter, A. R., Stack, M. J. & Scott, A. C. Vet. Rec. 121, 591–592 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Somerville, R. A., Ritchie, L. A. & Gibson, P. H. in Proc. Symp. Int. sur les Virus Non-conventionnels due Système Nerveaux Central (eds Court, L. A., Dormont, D. & Kingsbury, D.) (Abbay de Melleray, Moisdon la Rivière, in the press).

  13. McKinley, M. P., Braunfeld, M. B., Bellinger, C. G. & Prusiner, S. B. J. infect. Dis. 154, 110–120 (1985).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Prusiner, S. B., Groth, D. F., Bolton, D. C., Kent, S. B. & Hood, L. E. Cell 38, 127–134 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Oesch, B. et al. Cell 40, 735–746 (1985).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Meyer, R. K. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 83, 2310–2314 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Manuelidis, L., Valley, S. & Manuelidis, E. E. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 82, 4263–4267 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Sklaviadis, T., Manuelidis, L. & Manuelidis, E. E. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 83, 6146–6150 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Hope, J., Multhaup, G., Reekie, L. J. D., Kimberlin, R. H. & Beyreuther, K. Eur. J. Biochem. 172, 271–277 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Liao, Y.-C. J., Lebo, R. V., Clawson, G. A. & Smuckler, E. A. Science 233, 346–367 (1986).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Kretzschmar, H. A. et al. DNA 5, 315–324 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Hunter, N., Foster, J. D., Dickinson, A. G. & Hope, J. Vet. Rec. (in the press).

  23. Westaway, D. & Prusiner, S. B. Nucleic Acids Res. 14, 2035–2044 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. McBride, P. A., Bruce, M. B. & Fraser, H. Neuropath. appl. Neurobiol. 14, 325–336 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. DeArmond, S. J. et al. Cell 41, 221–235 (1985).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Dickinson, A. G. & Outram, G. W. in Novel Infectious Agents and the Central Nervous System Ciba symp. 135 (eds Bock, G. & Marsh, J.) 63–83 (Wiley, Chichesler, 1988).

    Google Scholar 

  27. Carlson, G. A. et al. Cell 46, 503–511 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Carp, R. I., Moretz, R. C., Natelli, M. & Dickinson, A. G. J. gen. Virol. 68, 401–407 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Hunter, N., Hope, J., McConnell, I. & Dickinson, A. G. J. gen. Virol. 68, 2711–2716 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Hope, J. & Hunter, N. in Novel Infectious Agents and the Central Nervous System Ciba symp. 135 (eds Bock, G. & Marsh, J.) 146–163 (Wiley, Chichester, 1988).

    Google Scholar 

  31. Morgan, K. L. Vet. Rec. 122, 445–446 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Fraser, H., McConnell, I., Wells, G. A. H. & Dawson, M. Vet. Rec. 123, 472 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Animal Health, AFRC & MRC Neuropathogenesis Unit, Ogston Building, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JF, UK

    James Hope, Laura J. D. Reekie & Nora Hunter

  2. Zentrum für Molekulare Biologic, Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 282, D-6000, Heidelberg, FRG

    Gerd Multhaup & Konrad Beyreuther

  3. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Central Veterinary Laboratory, New Haw, Weybridge, Surrey, KT15 3NB, UK

    Heather White, Anthony C. Scott, Michael J. Stack, Michael Dawson & Gerald A. H. Wells

Authors
  1. James Hope
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Laura J. D. Reekie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Nora Hunter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Gerd Multhaup
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Konrad Beyreuther
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Heather White
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Anthony C. Scott
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Michael J. Stack
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Michael Dawson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Gerald A. H. Wells
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hope, J., Reekie, L., Hunter, N. et al. Fibrils from brains of cows with new cattle disease contain scrapie-associated protein. Nature 336, 390–392 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1038/336390a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/336390a0

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation