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Western Immunoblotting Techniques for the Study of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies

  • Chapter
Techniques in Prion Research

Part of the book series: Methods and Tools in Biosciences and Medicine ((MTBM))

Abstract

Initial diagnosis of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) has always been made by the detection of neuronal vacuolation within formaldehyde-fixed brain sections by histopathological examination. Over time, specific antibodies for pathological markers of TSEs have been produced and immunology-based techniques are being increasingly used to aid diagnosis for screening purposes and to provide information at the molecular level for the disease group as a whole. Western immunoblotting is an established technology and, due to its use of specific antibodies, it is a tool that is used across many scientific disciplines to provide diagnosis of particular diseases, or answers to research problems. This chapter outlines some of the Western immunoblotting techniques which are being used to study TSEs, discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each technique, and makes suggestions on the circumstances under which each may be best used.

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Authors
  1. Michael J. Stack
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institut de Génétique Humaine, CNRS U.P.R. 1142, 141, rue de la Cardonille, Montpellier Cedex 5, F-34396, France

    Sylvain Lehmann

  2. Service de Pharmacologie et d’Immunologie, Bâtiment 136, CEA/Saclay, Gif sur Yvette Cedex, F-91191, France

    Jacques Grassi

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Stack, M.J. (2004). Western Immunoblotting Techniques for the Study of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies. In: Lehmann, S., Grassi, J. (eds) Techniques in Prion Research. Methods and Tools in Biosciences and Medicine. Birkhäuser, Basel. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-7949-1_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-7949-1_8

  • Publisher Name: Birkhäuser, Basel

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-7643-2224-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-0348-7949-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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