NR AWET
AU Fernie,K.; Smith,A.; Cooke,C.M.; Shaw,G.; Rodger,J.; Somerville,R.A.
TI Assessment of hazards from environmental persistence of TSE infectivity
QU International Conference - Prion 2006: Strategies, advances and trends towards protection of society - 3.10.-6.10.2006, Torino, Italy, Lingotto Conference Centre - Poster sessions RA-03
PT Konferenz-Poster
AB TSE infectivity may enter the environment by various routes and persist in the ground, spread from the original source to contaminate an extended area and ground water. We are addressing whether infectivity survives within a carcass over time; survives without containment, whether it is disseminated; and whether environmental conditions affect the survival and/or transport of infectivity through soil. We are performing two field experiments using a fast draining sandy loam and a slow draining clay loam. A series of 10 bovine heads have been spiked with TSE infectivity and buried in the two soils, contained within lysimeters, for sequential annual exhumation and analysis. Boluses of TSE infected brain are also buried in the centre of two lysimeters and soil samples taken from them regularly. Rainwater flow-through is also analysed. These experiments are complemented by laboratory and soil column studies of the interaction between soil and its components and TSE infectivity, using recPrP and PrPsc as a surrogate marker. PrP binds strongly to both the sandy soil and clay soil, and to pure sand (quartz). Elution was only achieved with Sarkosyl. Elution from clay soil elution also required proteinase K digestion. Hence a different mechanism of binding may occur to components of the clay soil which are largely absent from the sandy soil. This binding occurs via the N-terminal domain of PrP and is not disrupted by Sarkosyl. These results form the basis of a method for eluting PrPsc and TSE infectivity from soil. Results so far suggest that TSE infectivity may bind strongly to soil components and has very limited mobility in soils with controlled rates of water percolation. TSE infectivity could therefore persist in one location for long periods of time.
AD K. Fernie, A. Smith, J. Rodger, R.A. Somerville: Institute for Animal Health, Neuropathogenesis Unit, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JF, UK; C. Cooke: Department of Soil Science, University of Reading, RG6 6DW, UK; G. Shaw: Division of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, University of Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK. karen.fernie@bbsrc.ac.uk
SP englisch
PO Italien