Quantification of PrPC in bovine peripheral tissues: Analysis in wild-type and PrPC-deficient cattle.

Cellular PrP (PrPC) is necessary for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) infection. The purpose of the present experiment was the quantification of PrPC in peripheral tissues to assess the risk of BSE infection from these tissues. The tissue distribution of PrPC was examined by a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (sELISA) and histochemical analysis.