Mother to offspring transmission of chronic wasting disease in reeves' muntjac deer.

The horizontal transmission of prion diseases has been well characterized in bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), chronic wasting disease (CWD) of deer and elk and scrapie of sheep, and has been regarded as the primary mode of transmission. Few studies have monitored the possibility of vertical t...

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Main Authors: Amy V Nalls, Erin McNulty, Jenny Powers, Davis M Seelig, Clare Hoover, Nicholas J Haley, Jeanette Hayes-Klug, Kelly Anderson, Paula Stewart, Wilfred Goldmann, Edward A Hoover, Candace K Mathiason
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2013-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0071844
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author Amy V Nalls
Erin McNulty
Jenny Powers
Davis M Seelig
Clare Hoover
Nicholas J Haley
Jeanette Hayes-Klug
Kelly Anderson
Paula Stewart
Wilfred Goldmann
Edward A Hoover
Candace K Mathiason
author_facet Amy V Nalls
Erin McNulty
Jenny Powers
Davis M Seelig
Clare Hoover
Nicholas J Haley
Jeanette Hayes-Klug
Kelly Anderson
Paula Stewart
Wilfred Goldmann
Edward A Hoover
Candace K Mathiason
author_sort Amy V Nalls
collection DOAJ
description The horizontal transmission of prion diseases has been well characterized in bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), chronic wasting disease (CWD) of deer and elk and scrapie of sheep, and has been regarded as the primary mode of transmission. Few studies have monitored the possibility of vertical transmission occurring within an infected mother during pregnancy. To study the potential for and pathway of vertical transmission of CWD in the native cervid species, we used a small cervid model-the polyestrous breeding, indoor maintainable, Reeves' muntjac deer-and determined that the susceptibility and pathogenesis of CWD in these deer reproduce that in native mule and white-tailed deer. Moreover, we demonstrate here that CWD prions are transmitted from doe to fawn. Maternal CWD infection also appears to result in lower percentage of live birth offspring. In addition, evolving evidence from protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) assays on fetal tissues suggest that covert prion infection occurs in utero. Overall, our findings demonstrate that transmission of prions from mother to offspring can occur, and may be underestimated for all prion diseases.
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spelling doaj-art-cd7126f5739d484a85db00c9e7e863dc2025-08-20T03:46:23ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032013-01-0188e7184410.1371/journal.pone.0071844Mother to offspring transmission of chronic wasting disease in reeves' muntjac deer.Amy V NallsErin McNultyJenny PowersDavis M SeeligClare HooverNicholas J HaleyJeanette Hayes-KlugKelly AndersonPaula StewartWilfred GoldmannEdward A HooverCandace K MathiasonThe horizontal transmission of prion diseases has been well characterized in bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), chronic wasting disease (CWD) of deer and elk and scrapie of sheep, and has been regarded as the primary mode of transmission. Few studies have monitored the possibility of vertical transmission occurring within an infected mother during pregnancy. To study the potential for and pathway of vertical transmission of CWD in the native cervid species, we used a small cervid model-the polyestrous breeding, indoor maintainable, Reeves' muntjac deer-and determined that the susceptibility and pathogenesis of CWD in these deer reproduce that in native mule and white-tailed deer. Moreover, we demonstrate here that CWD prions are transmitted from doe to fawn. Maternal CWD infection also appears to result in lower percentage of live birth offspring. In addition, evolving evidence from protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) assays on fetal tissues suggest that covert prion infection occurs in utero. Overall, our findings demonstrate that transmission of prions from mother to offspring can occur, and may be underestimated for all prion diseases.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0071844
spellingShingle Amy V Nalls
Erin McNulty
Jenny Powers
Davis M Seelig
Clare Hoover
Nicholas J Haley
Jeanette Hayes-Klug
Kelly Anderson
Paula Stewart
Wilfred Goldmann
Edward A Hoover
Candace K Mathiason
Mother to offspring transmission of chronic wasting disease in reeves' muntjac deer.
PLoS ONE
title Mother to offspring transmission of chronic wasting disease in reeves' muntjac deer.
title_full Mother to offspring transmission of chronic wasting disease in reeves' muntjac deer.
title_fullStr Mother to offspring transmission of chronic wasting disease in reeves' muntjac deer.
title_full_unstemmed Mother to offspring transmission of chronic wasting disease in reeves' muntjac deer.
title_short Mother to offspring transmission of chronic wasting disease in reeves' muntjac deer.
title_sort mother to offspring transmission of chronic wasting disease in reeves muntjac deer
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0071844
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