Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a spongiform encephalopathy, effects both captive and free ranging cervidae (deer, elk) of Wyoming and Colorado. Epidemiologic evidence indicates the disease is spreading beyond those states. Our goal is to charactherize the gene encoding the prion protein in animals susceptible to CWD, in an effort to determine possible transmission to humans and other herbivores. Once the gene has been cloned, it will be used to generate transgenic mice by targeted insertion, which can subsequently be used as models for pathogenesis, treatment, and prevention strategies.