2008 Annual Report 1a.Objectives (from AD-416) Production of transgenic mice carrying the following prion proteins: . 1)Porcine Prion Protein . 2)Mutant Bovine Prion Protein 1b.Approach (from AD-416) The prion protein (PrP) genes of mice will be manipulated using transgenesis, inserting either porcine prion protein or mutant bovine prion protein within the background of a prion protein knock out mouse. 3.Progress Report The purpose of this agreement is the development of transgenic mice with bovine and porcine prion genes for use in Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) studies at the USDA, ARS, National Animal Disease Center (NADC). The cooperator has developed mice with the bovine E211K transgene. A request was made to have the mice shipped to the NADC and mice have been weaned in preparation for shipment. In addition, the cooperator initiated a study investigating the susceptibility of these mice to transmissible mink encephalopathy passaged through a bovine host. The cooperator was provided with appropriate sequence data to begin construction of a colony of mice with the porcine prion transgene and receipt of these mice is expected within the next year of the agreement. The mice containing the porcine prion gene will be used to investigate potential susceptibilities of pigs to prion diseases (chronic wasting disease and scrapie) in parallel to studies already underway in pigs at the NADC. Methods used for monitoring include phone contact and e-mail. This project addresses NP 103, component 8.