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A cell line infectible by prion strains from different species

M.-P. Courageot^1,

N. Daude^1,

S. Paquet^1,

¹ Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires, INRA, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France
² Department of Food Safety and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
³ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21, Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Correspondence
D. Vilette
d.vilette{at}envt.fr
H. Laude
hubert.laude{at}jouy.inra.fr

It has been shown previously that ovine prion protein (PrP^C) renders rabbit epithelial RK13 cells permissive to the multiplication of ovine prions, thus providing evidence that species barriers can be crossed in cultured cells through the expression of a relevant PrP^C. The present study significantly extended this observation by showing that mouse and bank vole prions can be propagated in RK13 cells that express the corresponding PrP^C. Importantly, the respective molecular patterns of abnormal PrP (PrP^res) and, where examined, the neuropathological features of the infecting strains appeared to be maintained during the propagation in cell culture. These findings indicate that RK13 cells can be genetically engineered to replicate prion strains faithfully from different species. Such an approach may facilitate investigations of the molecular basis of strain identity and prion diversity.

Present address: Laboratoire de Biologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire, UFR des Sciences Exactes et Naturelles, Moulin de la Housse, BP 1039, 51687 Reims Cedex 2, France.

Present address: Prion Center, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M8, Canada.

Present address: Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Post Office Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC 3050, Australia.

||Present address: UMR 1225, INRA/ENVT, 23 Chemin des Capelles, 31076 Toulouse, France.