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Award details
Determining the mechanism of neuronal degeneration, and its relationship to PrP in scrapie pathogenesis
Reference
BS205377
Principal Investigator / Supervisor
Dr Janet Fraser
Co-Investigators /
Co-Supervisors
Dr MARTIN JEFFREY
Institution
The Pirbright Institute
Department
Neuropathogenesis Unit
Funding type
Research
Value (£)
278,064
Status
Completed
Type
Research Grant
Start date
04/09/1995
End date
04/11/1998
Duration
38 months
Abstract
Neuronal loss can be targeted to specific areas in scrapie-infected rodents. The pathological basis for this degeneration is not known; neither is the extent of the loss and its relationship to clinical disease. This project aims to test the hypothesis that abnormal PrP accumulating on neuronal plasmalemma causes synapse degeneration leading to loss of dendritic spines and ultimately cell death. This will be done by comparing neuron structure and PrP distribution in selected murine scrapie models, using LM, confocal and ultrastructural techniques. Serial ultrastructural reconstruction of dendrites and synapses will determine the effect of PrP released from the cell surface on subcellular neuronal morphology. Scrapie models with severe neuronal loss will be used to determine the nature of the neuronal degeneration, and particularly whether apoptotic mechanisms are involved.
Summary
unavailable
Committee
Closed Committee - Agri-food (AF)
Research Topics
X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority
X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative
Biology of Spongiform Encephalopathies - Phase 2 (BS2) [1993]
Funding Scheme
X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme
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