title: Association mapping of genetic risk factors for chronic wasting disease in wild deer.
abstract: Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal transmissible spongiform encephalopathy affecting North American cervids. We assessed the feasibility of association mapping CWD genetic risk factors in wild white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) using a panel of bovine microsatellite markers from three homologous deer linkage groups predicted to contain candidate genes. These markers had a low cross-species amplification rate (27.9%) and showed weak linkage disequilibrium (<1 cM). Markers near the prion protein and the neurofibromin 1 (NF1) genes were suggestively associated with CWD status in white-tailed deer (P = 0.006) and mule deer (P = 0.02), respectively. This is the first time an association between the NF1 region and CWD has been reported.
authors: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta Edmonton, AB, Canada.
authors: Tomomi
authors: T
authors: Matsumoto
authors: Michael D
authors: MD
authors: Samuel
authors: Trent
authors: T
authors: Bollinger
authors: Margo
authors: M
authors: Pybus
authors: David W
authors: DW
authors: Coltman
keywords: NF1; PRNP; chronic wasting disease; genetic risk factor; linkage disequilibrium; microsatellite markers; mule deer; white-tailed deer