Biomaterial Database

Molecular hybridization studies with scrapie brain nucleic acids. I. Search for specific DNA sequences. 1986

T Borrás, and C J Gibbs

Chromatography and hybridization techniques employing scrapie enriched fractions of hamster brains were employed to detect a scrapie-specific DNA molecule. 125I-labeled DNA from eight different scrapie-enriched hamster brain fractions was hybridized to total DNA and RNA from normal and scrapie hamster and mouse and to DNA from normal human brain and brain tissue from patients dying with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Enrichment for infectivity was obtained by cellular partition, gel filtration and gel electrophoresis. Reassociation of the probes with the scrapie DNA did not have a higher value than with the normal. The level of detection in these studies indicated that if scrapie were a DNA virus replicating through DNA its specific infectivity would be lower than 687 molecules per infectious unit. These findings weaken the possibility that scrapie is a DNA virus.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007700	Kinetics	The rate dynamics in chemical or physical systems.
D008970	Molecular Weight	The sum of the weight of all the atoms in a molecule.	Molecular Weights,Weight, Molecular,Weights, Molecular
D009693	Nucleic Acid Hybridization	Widely used technique which exploits the ability of complementary sequences in single-stranded DNAs or RNAs to pair with each other to form a double helix. Hybridization can take place between two complimentary DNA sequences, between a single-stranded DNA and a complementary RNA, or between two RNA sequences. The technique is used to detect and isolate specific sequences, measure homology, or define other characteristics of one or both strands. (Kendrew, Encyclopedia of Molecular Biology, 1994, p503)	Genomic Hybridization,Acid Hybridization, Nucleic,Acid Hybridizations, Nucleic,Genomic Hybridizations,Hybridization, Genomic,Hybridization, Nucleic Acid,Hybridizations, Genomic,Hybridizations, Nucleic Acid,Nucleic Acid Hybridizations
D011328	Prions	Small proteinaceous infectious particles which resist inactivation by procedures that modify NUCLEIC ACIDS and contain an abnormal isoform of a cellular protein which is a major and necessary component. The abnormal (scrapie) isoform is PrPSc (PRPSC PROTEINS) and the cellular isoform PrPC (PRPC PROTEINS). The primary amino acid sequence of the two isoforms is identical. Human diseases caused by prions include CREUTZFELDT-JAKOB SYNDROME; GERSTMANN-STRAUSSLER SYNDROME; and INSOMNIA, FATAL FAMILIAL.	Mink Encephalopathy Virus,Prion,Encephalopathy Virus, Mink
D001921	Brain	The part of CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM that is contained within the skull (CRANIUM). Arising from the NEURAL TUBE, the embryonic brain is comprised of three major parts including PROSENCEPHALON (the forebrain); MESENCEPHALON (the midbrain); and RHOMBENCEPHALON (the hindbrain). The developed brain consists of CEREBRUM; CEREBELLUM; and other structures in the BRAIN STEM.	Encephalon
D004279	DNA, Viral	Deoxyribonucleic acid that makes up the genetic material of viruses.	Viral DNA
D006224	Cricetinae	A subfamily in the family MURIDAE, comprising the hamsters. Four of the more common genera are Cricetus, CRICETULUS; MESOCRICETUS; and PHODOPUS.	Cricetus,Hamsters,Hamster
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001483	Base Sequence	The sequence of PURINES and PYRIMIDINES in nucleic acids and polynucleotides. It is also called nucleotide sequence.	DNA Sequence,Nucleotide Sequence,RNA Sequence,DNA Sequences,Base Sequences,Nucleotide Sequences,RNA Sequences,Sequence, Base,Sequence, DNA,Sequence, Nucleotide,Sequence, RNA,Sequences, Base,Sequences, DNA,Sequences, Nucleotide,Sequences, RNA