IDENTIFICATION OF DIFFERENTIALLY EXPRESSED GENES IN SCRAPIE-INFECTED MOUSE NEUROBLASTOMA-CELLS

In vitro cDNA libraries from scrapie-infected and non-infected murine neuroblastoma cell lines were screened with cDNA probes derived by sub tractive hybridization from scrapie-infected and uninfected cells to i dentify genes with altered expression associated with scrapie infectio n. Eleven independent recombinant clones, whose expression was either increased or decreased in scrapie-infected cells, were identified. Exp ression of these genes was also analyzed in a panel of scrapie-infecte d and non-infected cell lines. Five genes had altered mRNA expression in most scrapie-infected neuroblastoma cell clones compared to non-inf ected clones. These genes were chromogranin B, intracisternal-A partic le envelope, ornithine decarboxylase antizyme, heat shock protein 70 a nd one unidentified gene. None of these alterations in gene expression was uniquely scrapie-specific; however, the skewed association of inc reased expression with scrapie infection suggested that a causal relat ionship might exist between scrapie infection and altered expression o f these genes in mouse neuroblastoma cells in vitro.