Studies the Genetic Diversity of the Porcine Prion Protein

The question of the role of pigs in the transmission of the BSE agent to man will be addressed. Although intracerebral inoculation experiments have shown that pigs are susceptible to the BSE agent, diesease has not been transmitted by feeding brain material from affected cattle in a limited study. In mice, sheep and humans genetic resistence or susceptibility for TSE infections have been shown. The genetic variability of porcine PrP has not been examined and one negative result in an inoculation experiment using a single pig breed might not be representative for the species. The genetic variability of the porcine prion protein gene will be determined by sequencing of the PrP gene of various pig breeds after PCR amplification. The pig breeds used in the inoculation studies will be included in the analysis.