Identification of differentially expressed genes in ileal Peyer's Patch of scrapie-infected sheep using RNA arbitrarily primed PCR

Lars Austbø¹ , Andreas Kampmann² , Ulf Müller-Ladner² , Elena Neumann² , Ingrid Olsaker¹ and Grethe Skretting³

¹Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, P.O. Box 8146 Dep., N-0033, Oslo, Norway

²Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Justus-Liebig-University Gießen, Kerckhoff-Klinik Bad Nauheim, Germany

³Hematological Research Laboratory, Ullevål University Hospital, 0407 Oslo, Norway

author email corresponding author email

BMC Veterinary Research 2008, 4:12doi:10.1186/1746-6148-4-12


Published:	28 March 2008

Abstract

Backgound

In scrapie and prion diseases, the knowledge concerning genes involved in host response during the early infection period in the lymphoid tissues, still remains limited. In the present study, we have examined differential gene expression in ileal Peyer's patches and in laser microdissected follicles of sheep infected with scrapie.

Methods

Ileal Peyer's patches and laser microdissected follicles were of scrapie and control lambs with susceptible genotypes for classical scrapie. Potential regulated genes were found using RNA arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction (RAP-PCR) and fingerprinting. The differentially expressed genes were confirmed using real-time RT-PCR.

Results

The expression of three genes (MAPRE3, LOC729073 and DNAJC3), were found to be significantly altered in scrapie infected lambs (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

The three genes have not previously been associated with prion diseases and are interesting as they may reflect biological processes involved in the molecular pathogenesis of prion diseases.