title: Prion protein gene polymorphism in four West African sheep populations.
abstract: A total of 162 individuals, belonging to three Burkinabé and one Niger sheep populations, were analysed for prion protein (PrP) gene polymorphism at codons 136, 154 and 171. The ARQ allele was the most frequent in both the Burkinabé (86.7%) and the Niger (67.5%) sheep populations. The highly sensitive allele VRQ was not found in the sampled individuals. The highly resistant ARR allele was in very low frequency in the Burkina-Sahel (4.4%) and Mossi (3.2%) populations and was not present in the Djallonké and Touareg populations. Only 4 out of 15 possible PrP genotypes were identified in the sampled individuals. No favourable ARR/ARR genotypes were found in either of the breeds. Sequencing a subgroup of the samples allowed the identification of other five polymorphisms on the PrP gene sequence at codons 116, 138, 151, 237 and 240. The very low frequency of the ARR allele in the West African sheep should dissuade the implementation of a preventive selection programme aimed to increase resistance to scrapie, to avoid an extreme erosion of the genetic stock.
authors.affiliation: INERA, 04 BP 8645, Ouagadougou 04, Burkina Faso. traore_pa@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: Amadou
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Traoré
authors.forename: Luis J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Royo
authors.forename: Adama
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaboré
authors.forename: Lucía
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pérez-Pardal
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Álvarez
authors.forename: Iván
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: Laya
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sawadogo
authors.forename: Hamidou H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Tamboura
authors.forename: Félix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Goyache
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002050:Burkina Faso; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D009548:Niger; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011328:Prions / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D012608:Scrapie / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D020539:Sequence Analysis, Protein; D012756:Sheep / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D011328:Prions