Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy affecting captive and free-ranging cervids. Currently, tests for CWD in live animals involve relatively invasive procedures to collect lymphoid tissue biopsies and examine them for CWD-associated, protease-resistant cervid prion protein (PrPCWD) detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). We adapted an ultrasensitive prion detection system, protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA), to detect PrPCWD in Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) feces. Our PMCA reproducibly detected a 1.2×107 dilution of PrPCWD (a 10% infected brain homogenate diluted 1.2×106-fold into 10% fecal homogenates), equivalent to approximately 100 pg of PrPCWD/g of feces. We developed a semiquantitative scoring system based on the first PMCA round at which PrPCWD was detected and fit a nonlinear regression curve to our serial dilutions to correlate PMCA scores with known PrPCWD concentrations. We used this PMCA scoring system to detect PrPCWD and estimate its concentration in feces from free-ranging elk from Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. We compared our results to PrPCWD IHC of rectoanal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue and obex from the same animals. The PMCA successfully detected PrPCWD in feces from elk that were positive by IHC, with estimated prion loads from 100 to 5,000 pg PrPCWD/g of feces. These data show for the first time PrPCWD in feces from naturally exposed free-ranging elk and demonstrate the potential of PMCA as a new, noninvasive CWD diagnostic tool to complement IHC.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
PATHOLOGY|
April 01 2012
DETECTION OF PrPCWD IN FECES FROM NATURALLY EXPOSED ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK (CERVUS ELAPHUS NELSONI) USING PROTEIN MISFOLDING CYCLIC AMPLIFICATION
Bruce Pulford;
Bruce Pulford
1 Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Prion Research Program, Colorado State University, 1619 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
Terry R. Spraker;
Terry R. Spraker
1 Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Prion Research Program, Colorado State University, 1619 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
A. Christy Wyckoff;
A. Christy Wyckoff
1 Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Prion Research Program, Colorado State University, 1619 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
Crystal Meyerett;
Crystal Meyerett
1 Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Prion Research Program, Colorado State University, 1619 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
Heather Bender;
Heather Bender
1 Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Prion Research Program, Colorado State University, 1619 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
Adam Ferguson;
Adam Ferguson
1 Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Prion Research Program, Colorado State University, 1619 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
Brittney Wyatt;
Brittney Wyatt
1 Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Prion Research Program, Colorado State University, 1619 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
Krista Lockwood;
Krista Lockwood
1 Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Prion Research Program, Colorado State University, 1619 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
Jenny Powers;
Jenny Powers
2 National Park Service, 1201 Oakridge Drive, Fort Collins, Colorado 80525, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
Glenn C. Telling;
Glenn C. Telling
1 Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Prion Research Program, Colorado State University, 1619 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
Margaret A. Wild;
Margaret A. Wild
2 National Park Service, 1201 Oakridge Drive, Fort Collins, Colorado 80525, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
Mark D. Zabel
Mark D. Zabel
3
1 Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Prion Research Program, Colorado State University, 1619 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
3 Corresponding author (email: [email protected])
Search for other works by this author on:
J Wildl Dis (2012) 48 (2): 425–434.
Article history
Received:
March 20 2011
Accepted:
October 01 2011
Citation
Bruce Pulford, Terry R. Spraker, A. Christy Wyckoff, Crystal Meyerett, Heather Bender, Adam Ferguson, Brittney Wyatt, Krista Lockwood, Jenny Powers, Glenn C. Telling, Margaret A. Wild, Mark D. Zabel; DETECTION OF PrPCWD IN FECES FROM NATURALLY EXPOSED ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK (CERVUS ELAPHUS NELSONI) USING PROTEIN MISFOLDING CYCLIC AMPLIFICATION. J Wildl Dis 1 April 2012; 48 (2): 425–434. doi: https://doi.org/10.7589/0090-3558-48.2.425
Download citation file:
Citing articles via
Presence of Raccoon Roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis) in Habitat Associated with Allegheny Woodrats (Neotoma magister) in Western Virginia, USA, 2022–24
Karen E. Powers, Meghan H. Cavanagh, Lorien G. Walker, Samuel D. Elsen, A. Theoden Struthers, L. Kristen Page
Trichomonad Disease in Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo): Pathology and Molecular Characterization of Histomonas, Tetratrichomonas, Tritrichomonas, and Simplicimonas spp.
Kayla G. Adcock, Alisia A. W. Weyna, Michael J. Yabsley, Rowan E. Bäck, Kayla Buck Garrett, Kevin D. Niedringhaus, Melanie R. Kunkel, Heather M. A. Fenton, M. Kevin Keel, Charlie S. Bahnson, Elizabeth Elsmo, Nicole M. Nemeth
High Prevalence of Sarcocystis in a Collapsed Black Rat (Rattus rattus) Population from the Florida Keys
Brandon M. McDonald, Michael V. Cove, Mark G. Ruder, Michael J. Yabsley, Kayla B. Garrett, Alec T. Thompson, Nicole M. Nemeth, Jeremy D. Dixon, Marcus A. Lashley
Book Review
Aniruddha Belsare
Book Review
Alexandra C. Jerao