OIE Reference Laboratory Reports
Activities in 2011
Name of disease (or topic) for
which you are a designated OIE
Reference Laboratory:
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)
Address of laboratory:
3-1-5 Kannondai
Tsukbua
Ibaraki 305-0856
JAPAN
Tel.:
+81-29-838-7840
Fax:
+81-29-838-8332
e-mail address:
tyoko@affrc.go.jp
website:
http://niah.naro.affrc.go.jp/index.html
Name (including Title and
Position) of Head of Laboratory
(Responsible Official):
Takashi Yokoyama
Research team for prion diseases
Team leader
Name (including Title and
Position) of OIE Reference
Expert:
Takashi Yokoyama, DVM, PhD
Research team for prion diseases
Team leader
Name (including Title and
Position) of writer of this report
(if different from above):
Takashi Yokoyama, DVM, PhD
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2011
1
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy
Part I: Summary of general activities related to the disease
1.
Test(s) in use/or available for the specified disease/topic at your laboratory
Reason for
submission
species
No. sample tested
No. positive
Diagnostic
method
over 95,000
1
ELISA*
1
deteriorated sample
0
WB
205
207
2
0
WB, IHC
Tissue
BSE
Fallen stock
(over 24 months)
cattle
confirmatory test
Brain
Scrapie
Fallen stock
(over 12 months)
Sheep,
goat
Brain
and
Tonsil
CWD
Fallen stock
(over 12 months)
Wild animals
12
deer
WB, IHC
0
33
Brain
WB
*ELISA tests are conducted in livestock hygiene service centres in local governments.
2.
Production and distribution of diagnostic reagents
Anti-prion protein monoclonal antibody (mAb T2) are prepared and has used for the diagnosis of BSE and scrapie
surveillance. Reference materials from BSE cattle are collecting for research purpose and as for reference
materials. These materials are ready to provide for requests.
Part II: Activities specifically related to the mandate
of OIE Reference Laboratories
3.
International harmonisation and standardisation of methods for diagnostic testing or the
production and testing of vaccines
a)
Establishment and maintenance of a network with other OIE Reference Laboratories
designated for the same pathogen or disease and organisation of regular inter-laboratory
proficiency testing to ensure comparability of results
None
b)
Organisation of inter-laboratory proficiency testing with laboratories other than OIE
Reference Laboratories for the same pathogens and diseases to ensure equivalence of
results
None
4.
Preparation and supply of international reference standards for diagnostic tests or vaccines
1) Materials have been collected from experimentally BSE affected cattle.
2) BSE and atypical BSE challenged cattle were kept to generate BSE positive samples.
3) Transmission experiment of BSE and atypical BSE to bovinized transgenic mice, for the alternative BSE
control materials.
2
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2011
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy
5.
Research and development of new procedures for diagnosis and control
A commercial BSE test kit has established, by collaboration work with Nippi Biomatrix Institute. This kit was
authorized and has used for BSE surveillance in Japan.
6.
Collection, analysis and dissemination of epizootiological data relevant to international disease
control
None
7.
Maintenance of a system of quality assurance, biosafety and biosecurity relevant to the
pathogen and the disease concerned
Maintain the biosafety level 3 laboratories and animal facilities for BSE experiments.
8.
Provision of consultant expertise to OIE or to OIE Member Countries
Preliminary discussions for the BSE diagnosis training for Philippine Animal Health Center (PAHC), 25-28, April
2011, Manila, Philippine.
2011 International Conference on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies Prevention and Control. 16-18
November, 2011, Taipei
Regional Forum of collaborating/reference centres on emerging infectious diseases and zoonoses. 5-6 December
2011, Sapporo Japan.
9.
Provision of scientific and technical training to personnel from other OIE Member Countries
JICA training course on veterinary technology, “BSE diagnosis” 21-22 April, 2011, 4 participants.
JICA training course on veterinary technology, “Research on diagnosis for transmissible spongiform
encephalopathies (TSEs)”. 2 May to28 October, 2011, 1 participant.
“Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs) diagnosis training course” 12-16 December, 2011 3
participants.
10. Provision of diagnostic testing facilities to other OIE Member Countries
Provide BSE confirmatory test protocol (western blotting and Immunohistochemistry).
11. Organisation of international scientific meetings on behalf of OIE or other international bodies
NARO International workshop "Scientific approaches for control and eradication of animal infectious diseases in
Asia” November 14, 2011 Tokyo, Japan
12. Participation in international scientific collaborative studies
Collaboration work has conducted between OIE reference laboratory for diagnose of H-type atypical BSE.
Collaboration work on L-type atypical BSE between Germany, France and Canada.
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2011
3
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy
13. Publication and dissemination of information relevant to the work of OIE (including list of
scientific publications, internet publishing activities, presentations at international conferences)

1.
Yokoyama T, Ushiki-Kaku Y, Mohri S. PrPSc heterogeneity in inter-and intra-species transmission.
Prion2011 Montreal, Canada May 16-19, 2011.
2.
Hasegawa K, Mohri S, Yokoyama T. Comparison of the structural stability of various mammalian
cellular prion proteins based on the fragment molecular orbital calculations. Prion2011 Montreal,
Canada May 16-19, 2011.
3.
Iwamaru Y, Takenouchi T, Imamura M, Shimizu Y, Murayama Y, Mohri S, Yokoyama T, Kitani H.
Brilliant blue G, an antagonist of the ATPsensitive receptor P2X7 prevents prion accumulation.
Prion2011 Montreal, Canada May 16-19, 2011.
4.
Nagaoka K, Yoshioka M, Shmozaki N, Yamamura T, Murayama Y, Yokoyama T, Mohri S. Sensitive
detection of scrapie prion protein in soil. Prion2011 Montreal, Canada. May 16-19, 2011.
5.
Yokoyama T. Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy. NARO international workshop, Scientific
approaches for control and eradication of animal infectious diseases in Asia. Tokyo, Japan. Nov 14, 2011.
6.
Yokoyama T. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy in Japan: status and research topics. 2011
International conference on transmissible spongiform encephalopathies prevention and control.Taipei,
Taiwan. Nov 17, 2011.

4
Presentations at international conferences and meetings
Scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals
1.
Okada H, Iwamaru Y, Kakizaki M, Masujin K, Imamura M, Fukuda S, Matsuura Y, Shimizu Y, Kasai K,
Mohri S, Yokoyama T. Properties of L-Type Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy in Intraspecies
Passages. Vet Pathol 2011. 48(5) 942-7.
2.
Okada H, Iwamaru Y, Imamura M, Masujin K, Matsuura Y, Shimizu Y, Kasai K, Takata M, Fukuda S,
Nikaido S, Fujii K, Onoe S, Mohri S, Yokoyama T. Neuroanatomical Distribution of Disease-Associated
Prion Protein in Cases of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Detected by Fallen Stock Surveillance in
Japan. J Vet Med Sci (in press)
3.
Okada H, Iwamaru Y, Imamura M, Masujin K, Matsuura Y, Shimizu Y, Kasai K, Mohri S, Yokoyama T,
Czub S. Experimental H-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy characterized by plaques and glialand stellate-type prion protein deposits. Vet Res 2011. 42(1):79.
4.
Kono J, Toyoshima R, Iseki T, Sato Y, Umematu A, Okano M, Tashiro A, Ano Y, Sata T, Yokoyama T,
Onodera T, Yukawa M. Uptake dynamics of scrapie agent in the intestinal villous epithelium of suckling
and weanling Syrian hamsters. Microbiol Immunol 2011. 55(9):661-5.
5.
Imamura M, Kato N, Okada H, Iwamaru Y, Shimizu Y, Mohri S, Yokoyama T. Strain-specific effects of
reducing agents on the cell-free conversion of recombinant prion protein into a protease-resistant form.
Microbiol Immunol 2011. 55(9):633-40.
6.
Shu Y, Masujin K, Okada H, Iwamaru Y, Imamura M, Matsuura Y, Mohri S, Yokoyama T.
Characterization of Syrian hamster adapted prions derived from L-type and C-type bovine spongiform
encephalopathies. Prion 2011. 5(2):103-8.
7.
Yoshioka M, Imamura M, Okada H, Shimozaki N, Murayama Y, Yokoyama T, Mohri S. Sc237 hamster
PrPSc and Sc237-derived mouse PrPSc generated by interspecies in vitro amplification exhibit distinct
pathological and biochemical properties in tga20 transgenic mice. Microbiol Immunol 2011. 55(5):33140.
8.
Fukuda S, Okada H, Arai S, Yokoyama T, Mohri S. Neuropathological changes in auditory brainstem
nuclei in cattle with experimentally induced bovine spongiform encephalopathy. J Comp Pathol 2011.
145(2-3):302-7.
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2011
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy
9.
Okada H, Iwamaru Y, Imamura M, Masujin K, Matsuura Y, Murayama Y, Mohri S, Yokoyama T. Detection
of disease-associated prion protein in the posterior portion of the small intestine involving the
continuous Peyer's patch in cattle orally infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy agent.
Transbound Emerg Dis 2011. 58(4):333-43.
10. Imamura M, Kato N, Yoshioka M, Okada H, Iwamaru Y, Shimizu Y, Mohri S, Yokoyama T, Murayama Y.
Glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor-dependent stimulation pathway required for generation of
baculovirus-derived recombinant scrapie prion protein. J Virol 2011. 85(6):2582-8.
11. Okada H, Sato Y, Sata T, Sakurai M, Endo J, Yokoyama T, Mohri S. Antigen retrieval using sodium
hydroxide for prion immunohistochemistry in bovine spongiform encephalopathy and scrapie. J Comp
Pathol 2011. 144(4):251-6.
12. Okada H, Masujin K, Iwamaru Y, Imamura M, Matsuura Y, Mohri S, Czub S, Yokoyama T. Experimental
transmission of h-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy to bovinized transgenic mice. Vet Pathol
2011. 48(5):942-7.
13. Yokoyama T, Okada H, Murayama Y, Masujin K, Iwamaru Y, Mohri S. Examination of the offspring of a
Japanese cow affected with L-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy. J Vet Med Sci 2011. 73(1):121-3.

Other communications
None
_______________
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2011
5