Prion protein polymorphisms in white-tailed deer influence susceptibility to chronic wasting disease
Open Access
- 1 July 2006
- journal article
- Published by Microbiology Society in Journal of General Virology
- Vol. 87 (7), 2109-2114
- https://doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.81615-0
Abstract
The primary sequence of the prion protein affects susceptibility to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, or prion diseases, in mice, sheep and humans. The Prnp gene sequence of free-ranging, Wisconsin white-tailed deer was determined and the Prnp genotypes of chronic wasting disease (CWD)-positive and CWD-negative deer were compared. Six amino acid changes were identified, two of which were located in pseudogenes. Two alleles, a Q→K polymorphism at codon 226 and a single octapeptide repeat insertion into the pseudogene, have not been reported previously. The predominant alleles – wild-type (Q95, G96 and Q226) and a G96S polymorphism – comprised almost 98 % of the Prnp alleles in the Wisconsin white-tailed deer population. Comparison of the allelic frequencies in the CWD-positive and CWD-negative deer suggested that G96S and a Q95H polymorphism were linked to a reduced susceptibility to CWD. The G96S allele did not, however, provide complete resistance, as a CWD-positive G96S/G96S deer was identified. The G96S allele was also linked to slower progression of the disease in CWD-positive deer based on the deposition of PrPCWD in the obex region of the medulla oblongata. Although the reduced susceptibility of deer with at least one copy of the Q95H or G96S allele is insufficient to serve as a genetic barrier, the presence of these alleles may modulate the impact of CWD on white-tailed deer populations.Keywords
This publication has 17 references indexed in Scilit:
- Preliminary Observations of Genetic Susceptibility of elk (Cervus Elaphus Nelsoni) to Chronic Wasting Disease by Experimental Oral InoculationJournal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation, 2006
- Low frequency of PrP genotype 225SF among free-ranging mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) with chronic wasting diseaseJournal of General Virology, 2005
- Delay in onset of prion disease for the HY strain of transmissible mink encephalopathy as a result of prior peripheral inoculation with the replication-deficient DY strainJournal of General Virology, 2004
- A processed pseudogene contributes to apparent mule deer prion gene heterogeneityGene, 2003
- Prion gene sequence variation within diverse groups of U.S. sheep, beef cattle, and deerMammalian Genome, 2003
- PRION PROTEIN GENE HETEROGENEITY IN FREE-RANGING WHITE-TAILED DEER WITHIN THE CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE AFFECTED REGION OF WISCONSINJournal of Wildlife Diseases, 2003
- Strain-specific propagation of PrPSc properties into baculovirus-expressed hamster PrPCJournal of General Virology, 2000
- PrP genotypes of captive and free-ranging Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) with chronic wasting diseaseJournal of General Virology, 1999
- Non-genetic propagation of strain-specific properties of scrapie prion proteinNature, 1995
- Identification of a gene which controls the incubation period of some strains of scrapie agent in miceJournal of Comparative Pathology, 1968