Novel Prion Strain as Cause of Chronic Wasting Disease in a Moose, Finland

Our previous studies using gene-targeted mouse models of chronic wasting disease (CWD) demonstrated that Norway and North America cervids are infected with distinct prion strains that respond differently to naturally occurring amino acid variation at residue 226 of the prion protein. Here we performed transmissions in gene -tar-geted mice to investigate the properties of prions causing newly emergent CWD in moose in Finland. Although CWD prions from Finland and Norway moose had com-parable responses to primary structural differences at residue 226, other distinctive criteria, including transmission kinetics, patterns of neuronal degeneration, and conformational features of prions generated in the brains of diseased mice, demonstrated that the strain properties of Finland moose CWD prions are different from those previously characterized in Norway CWD. Our findings add to a growing body of evidence for a diverse portfolio of emergent strains in Nordic countries that are etiologically distinct from the comparatively consistent strain profile of North America CWD.

Automated summary

Our previous studies found that different strains of prions cause chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Norway and North America cervids, and they respond differently to amino acid variation at residue 226 of the prion protein. This study investigated the properties of newly emergent CWD in moose in Finland using gene-targeted mice transmissions. The findings showed that the strain properties of Finland moose CWD prions are distinct from those previously characterized in Norway CWD, indicating a diverse portfolio of emergent strains in Nordic countries.