Emerging Infectious Disease ISSN: 1080-6059

Levels of Abnormal Prion Protein in Deer and Elk with Chronic Wasting Disease

Brent L. Race*, Kimberly D. Meade-White*, Anne Ward*, Jean Jewell†, Michael W. Miller‡, Elizabeth S. Williams†¹, Bruce Chesebro*, and Richard E. Race*

Author affiliations: *Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Hamilton, Montana, USA; †University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA; ‡Colorado Division of Wildlife, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA;

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Figure 1

Immunoblot analysis of PrPres from chronic wasting disease (CWD)–affected elk and deer brain, tonsil, and retropharyngeal lymph node (RPLN). Panel A shows the PrPres signal from 2-mg equivalents of elk brain or 20-mg equivalents of deer brain. Individual animals are identified as 1–5 (elk) or 1–6 (deer). C denotes the reference control to which all other samples are compared and consists of 20-mg equivalents of retropharyngeal lymph node (RPLN) from a CWD–affected mule deer. Aliquots of this same control are included on all blots shown in panels B and C. Lanes labeled U in panels A, B, and C contain 20-mg equivalents of the respective tissue from uninfected elk or deer. No PrPres bands were detected when tissues from uninfected deer or elk were analyzed. In panels B and C, 20-mg equivalents of tonsil or RPLN were used. PrPres was obtained as described in Materials and Methods and the blots developed by using antibody L42 at a 0.04 μg/mL dilution and standard enhanced chemifluorescence processing. Approximate molecular weights in kd are indicated on the left side of the panels.

Figure 1. Immunoblot analysis of PrPres from chronic wasting disease (CWD)–affected elk and deer brain, tonsil, and retropharyngeal lymph node (RPLN). Panel A shows the PrPres signal from 2-mg equivalents of elk brain or 20-mg equivalents of deer brain. Individual animals are identified as 1–5 (elk) or 1–6 (deer). C denotes the reference control to which all other samples are compared and consists of 20-mg equivalents of retropharyngeal lymph node (RPLN) from a CWD–affected mule deer. Aliquots of this same control are included on all blots shown in panels B and C. Lanes labeled U in panels A, B, and C contain 20-mg equivalents of the respective tissue from uninfected elk or deer. No PrPres bands were detected when tissues from uninfected deer or elk were analyzed. In panels B and C, 20-mg equivalents of tonsil or RPLN were used. PrPres was obtained as described in Materials and Methods and the blots developed by using antibody L42 at a 0.04 μg/mL dilution and standard enhanced chemifluorescence processing. Approximate molecular weights in kd are indicated on the left side of the panels.

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¹Deceased

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