Method of Preparing Cow Brain Homogenate.

摘要

An assay method is disclosed which isolates and detects the presence of a disease related conformation of a protein (e.g., PrP(sup Sc)) present in a sample also containing the non-disease related conformation of the protein (e.g., PrP(sup Sc)). The sample is treated (e.g., contacted with protease) in a manner which hydrolyzes the disease related conformation and not the non-disease related conformation. The treated sample is contacted with a binding partner (e.g., a labeled antibody which binds PrP(sup Sc)) and the occurrence of binding provides and indication that PrP(sup Sc) is present. Alternatively the PrP(sup Sc) of the treated sample is denatured (e.g., contacted with guanadine) or unfolded. The unfolded PrP(sup Sc) is contacted with a binding partner and the occurrence of binding indicates the presence of PrP(sup Sc) in the sample. In another embodiment, PrP(sup Sc) and PrP(sup C) are reacted with a labeled antibody that binds both conformations and a conformation that binds only the disease related conformation, and the presence of the disease related conformation is determined by comparing the two.