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 Alper, T. Articles by Clarke, M. C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Alper, T. Articles by Clarke, M. C. Agricola Articles by Alper, T. Articles by Clarke, M. C.

The Scrapie Agent: Evidence Against its Dependence for Replication on Intrinsic Nucleic Acid

Tikvah Alper^*,

D. A. Haig

M. C. Clarke^,

^* Medical Research Council Experimental Radiopathology Unit, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12
Agricultural Research Council, Institute for Research on Animal Diseases, Compton, Newbury, Berkshire RG16 ONN

Exposure of the scrapie agent to u.v. light at various wavelengths has shown that light of 237 nm is 4 to 5 times as effective in inactivating it as ‘germicidal’ wavelengths (250 to 270 nm); whereas with systems that depend on RNA or DNA for function, inactivation is most effective by wavelengths in the germicidal range and there is a minimum of response in the wavelength region round 240 nm. The action spectrum for the scrapie agent is reminiscent of the absorption spectrum for purified bacterial endotoxin, identified as a lipopolysaccharide complex.

Dilute aqueous suspensions of scrapie agent were exposed to ionizing radiations in the presence or absence of oxygen. In dilute suspensions of test systems depending on the integrity of nucleic acid or protein, oxygen is almost invariably protective, but it was extremely sensitizing for inactivation of the scrapie agent, to an extent approached only in the case of membranous systems like lysosomes.

Results of these two methods argue against dependence of the scrapie agent on an intrinsic nucleic acid moiety for ability to replicate. They suggest that a lipid fraction is an important component and to that extent provide additional support for the ‘membrane hypothesis’.

Present address: Birkholt, Crableck Lane, Sarisbury Green, Hampshire SO3 6AL.

To whom reprint requests should be addressed.

Received 11 November 1977; accepted 19 June 1978.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				P. T. Schramm, C. J. Johnson, N. E. Mathews, D. McKenzie, J. M. Aiken, and J. A. Pedersen Potential Role of Soil in the Transmission of Prion Disease Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry, January 1, 2006; 64(1): 135 - 152. [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Chesebro Introduction to the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or prion diseases Br. Med. Bull., June 1, 2003; 66(1): 1 - 20. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Prusiner Molecular biology of prion diseases Science, June 14, 1991; 252(5012): 1515 - 1522. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. Prusiner Novel proteinaceous infectious particles cause scrapie Science, April 9, 1982; 216(4542): 136 - 144. [Abstract] [PDF]