Transmissible mink encephalopathy - review of the etiology of a rare prion disease.

We review here the history, neuropathology, clinical picture and molecular data on transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME). This obscure disease is of utmost importance as it is plausible that it represents a transmission of hidden bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) to mink in the USA. Of special interest is the similarity of L-type of BSE and TME. Furthermore, experimental molecular studies showed the TME strain-specific in vitro conversion in a cell-free system. In addition, we show here for the first time confocal laser microscopy studies of co-localization of PrP d - amyloid plaques and GFAP-expressing astrocytes.