Reduced proteinase K resistance and infectivity of prions after pressure treatment at 60 °C

• Published in: Journal of general virology 2004, Vol.85 (1), p.261-264
• Main Authors: Garcia, A.F, Heindl, P, Voigt, H, Buttner, M, Wienhold, D, Butz, P, Starke, J, Tauscher, B, Pfaff, E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; Neurology; Virology
• ISSN: 0022-1317; 1465-2099
• DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.19410-0

1 Federal Research Centre for Nutrition, Haid-und-Neustr. 9, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany 2 Federal Research Centre for Virus Diseases of Animals, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 28, 72076 Tübingen, Germany Correspondence Avelina Fernández García veli.fernandez{at}bfe.uni-karlsruhe.de High hydrostatic pressure is a mild technology compared with high temperatures and is commonly used for food pasteurization. Crude brain homogenates of terminally diseased hamsters infected with scrapie 263K strain were heated at 60 °C and/or pressurized up to 1000 MPa for 2 h. Prion proteins were analysed for their proteinase K sensitivity using a Western blot technique. PrP Sc pressurized with 500 MPa or above proved to be proteinase K sensitive. To test the remaining infectivity of the pressurized material, hamsters were infected intracerebrally. Results showed a greatly delayed onset of disease (from 80 up to 153 days) when samples had been pressurized at 500 MPa and above. An increase in the survival rate was also observed: 47 % survival over 180 days was seen following infection with homogenates pressurized at 700–1000 MPa.