HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hunter, G. D. Articles by Kimberlin, R. H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hunter, G. D. Articles by Kimberlin, R. H. Agricola Articles by Hunter, G. D. Articles by Kimberlin, R. H.

Search for Scrapie-specific RNA and Attempts to Detect an Infectious DNA or RNA

Agricultural Research Council, Institute for Research on Animal Diseases, Compton, Newbury, Berks RG16 0NN, U.K.

Preparations of in vivo labelled RNA from normal and scrapie infected mouse brains were fractionated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. No appreciable differences were detected between the two preparations. The biological activity of preparations of RNA and DNA from scrapie brain was also examined. In each case the nucleic acid was obtained by one method involving the use of phenol and one without phenol. Attempts were made to bind the nucleic acid to normal membrane by three different methods. In no instance was a single case of scrapie obtained by inoculating nucleic acid extracts from scrapie brain either alone or associated with normal membranes. It is concluded that a putative scrapie-specific nucleic acid must either be present in scrapie brain in such an unusual form that it is not extracted readily by methods suitable for the preparation of most virus nucleic acids; or, if it is extracted, that it has no detectable biological activity. In either case, the scrapie agent differs substantially in its properties from the plant viroids.

Received 2 February 1976; accepted 12 March 1976.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D. Bolton, M. McKinley, and S. Prusiner Identification of a protein that purifies with the scrapie prion Science, December 24, 1982; 218(4579): 1309 - 1311. [Abstract] [PDF]

				D. Gajdusek Unconventional viruses and the origin and disappearance of kuru Science, September 2, 1977; 197(4307): 943 - 960. [PDF]