PRNP [SEP] chromosome
ingestion of diseased individuals, and vCJD disease, thought to be due to human ingestion of BSE-tainted cattle products.
Gene.
The human "PRNP" gene is located on the short (p) arm of chromosome 20 between the end (terminus) of the arm and position 12, from base pair 4,615,068 to base pair 4,630,233.
Structure.
PrP is highly conserved through mammals, lending credence to application of conclusions from test animals such as mice. Comparison between primates is especially similar, ranging from
deletion of "PRNP" in animals has yielded several conflicting findings. When Aβ oligomers were injected into the cerebral ventricles of a mouse model of Alzheimer's, "PRNP" deletion did not offer protection, only anti-PrP antibodies prevented long-term memory and spatial learning deficits. This would suggest either an unequal relation between PRNP and Aβ oligomer-mediated neurodegeneration or a site-specific relational significance. In the case of direct injection of Aβ oligomers into the hippocampus, "PRNP"-knockout mice were found to be indistinguishable from control