Decipher the mechanisms of rabbit＇s low susceptibility to prion infection  

作　　者：Zhen Yuan Deming Zhao Lifeng Yang 

机构地区：[1]State Key Laboratories for Agrobiotechnology, Key Lab of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis, Ministry of Agriculture, National AnimalTransmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beiiing 100193, China

出　　处：《Acta Biochimica et Biophysica Sinica》2013年第11期899-903,共5页生物化学与生物物理学报（英文版）

摘　　要：Rabbits have low susceptibility to prion infection. Studies on prion protein （PrP） from animal species of different sus- ceptibility to prion diseases identified key amino acid resi- dues, specific motif, and special features in rabbit prion protein （RaPrPc） that contribute to the stability of rabbit PrP~ and low susceptibility to prion infection. However, there is no evidence showing that rabbits are completely re- sistant to prion diseases. It has been reported that the rabbit prion could be generated in vitro through protein misfolding cyclic amplification and proved to be infectious and transmissible. Here, we reviewed studies on rabbit- specific PrP structures and features in relation to rabbit＇s low susceptibility to prion infection.Rabbits have low susceptibility to prion infection. Studies on prion protein （PrP） from animal species of different sus- ceptibility to prion diseases identified key amino acid resi- dues, specific motif, and special features in rabbit prion protein （RaPrPc） that contribute to the stability of rabbit PrP~ and low susceptibility to prion infection. However, there is no evidence showing that rabbits are completely re- sistant to prion diseases. It has been reported that the rabbit prion could be generated in vitro through protein misfolding cyclic amplification and proved to be infectious and transmissible. Here, we reviewed studies on rabbit- specific PrP structures and features in relation to rabbit＇s low susceptibility to prion infection.

关 键 词：prion diseases RABBIT SUSCEPTIBILITY resistance prion protein 

分 类 号：S858.28[农业科学—临床兽医学] S829.1[农业科学—兽医学]