Prion protein alleles showing a protective effect on the susceptibility of sheep to scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
The susceptibility of sheep to classical scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is mainly influenced by prion protein (PrP) polymorphisms A136V, R154H, and Q171R, with the ARR allele associated with significantly decreased susceptibility. Here we report the protective effect of the amino acid substitution M137T, I142K, or N176K on the ARQ allele in sheep experimentally challenged with either scrapie or BSE. Such observations suggest the existence of additional PrP alleles that significantly decrease the susceptibility of sheep to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, which may have important implications for disease eradication strategies.
Vaccari
Gabriele
G
Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Department of Food Safety and Veterinary Public Health, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy. gabriele.vaccari@iss.it
D'Agostino
Claudia
C
Nonno
Romolo
R
Rosone
Francesca
F
Conte
Michela
M
Di Bari
Michele Angelo
MA
Chiappini
Barbara
B
Esposito
Elena
E
De Grossi
Luigi
L
Giordani
Francesco
F
Marcon
Stefano
S
Morelli
Luisella
L
Borroni
Renata
R
Agrimi
Umberto
U
D000483:Alleles; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002417:Cattle; D016643:Encephalopathy, Bovine Spongiform / Q000235:genetics* / Q000635:transmission; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011328:Prions / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D012608:Scrapie / Q000235:genetics* / Q000635:transmission; D012756:Sheep
D011328:Prions