Physicochemical and biological characterizations of distinct strains of the transmissible mink encephalopathy agent.

Inoculation of the Stetsonville, Wisconsin source of transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME) into Syrian hamsters has identified two strains of the TME agent having distinct biological properties and producing disease-specific prion proteins (PrPTME) having different physicochemical properties. Although several strains of the sheep scrapie agent have been identified in Great Britain, this is the first indication that agents producing transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in the United States also are capable of producing distinct strains.