CRISPR/Cas9-editing of PRNP in Alpine goats.

Misfolding of the cellular PrP (PrP) protein causes prion disease, leading to neurodegenerative disorders in numerous mammalian species, including goats. A lack of PrP induces complete resistance to prion disease. The aim of this work was to engineer Alpine goats carrying knockout (KO) alleles of PRNP, the PrP-encoding gene, using CRISPR/Cas9-ribonucleoproteins and single-stranded donor oligonucleotides.

A partial deletion within the meiosis-specific sporulation domain SPO22 of Tex11 is not associated with infertility in mice.

Azoospermia (the complete absence of spermatozoa in the semen) is a common cause of male infertility. The etiology of azoospermia is poorly understood. Whole-genome analysis of azoospermic men has identified a number of candidate genes, such as the X-linked testis-expressed 11 (TEX11) gene.

Variation in the prion protein gene (PRNP) open reading frame sequence in French cervids.

The recent emergence of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Europe has become a new public health risk for monitoring of wild and farmed cervids. This disease, due to prions, has proliferated in North America in a contagious manner. In several mammalian species, polymorphisms in the prion protein gene (PRNP) play a crucial role in the susceptibility to prions and their spread.

Assessment of the Zoonotic Potential of Atypical Scrapie Prions in Humanized Mice Reveals Rare Phenotypic Convergence but Not Identity With Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Prions.

Background: Atypical/Nor98 scrapie (AS) is an idiopathic infectious prion disease affecting sheep and goats. Recent findings suggest that zoonotic prions from classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (C-BSE) may copropagate with atypical/Nor98 prions in AS sheep brains. Investigating the risk AS poses to humans is crucial.