title: The prion-related protein (testis-specific) gene (PRNT) is highly polymorphic in Portuguese sheep.
abstract: The objective of this study was to search for polymorphisms in the ovine prion-related protein (testis-specific) gene (PRNT). Sampling included 567 sheep from eight Portuguese breeds. The PRNT gene-coding region was analyzed by single-strand conformation polymorphism and sequencing, allowing the identification of the first ovine PRNT polymorphisms, in codons 6, 38, 43 and 48: c.17C>T (p.Ser6Phe, which disrupts a consensus arginine-X-X-serine/threonine motif); c.112G>C (p.Gly38>Arg); c.129T>C and c.144A>G (synonymous) respectively. Polymorphisms in codons 6, 38 and 48 occur simultaneously in 50.6% of the animals, 38.8% presenting as heterozygous. To study the distribution of the polymorphism in codon 43, a restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis was performed. Polymorphic variant c.129C, identified in 89.8% of the animals with 32.8% presented as heterozygous, was considered the wild genotype in Portuguese sheep. Eight different haplotypes which have comparable distribution in all breeds were identified for the PRNT gene. In conclusion, the PRNT coding region is highly polymorphic in sheep, unlike the prion protein 2 dublet gene (PRND), in which we previously found only one synonymous substitution (c.78G>A), in codon 26. The absence or reduced number of PRND heterozygotes (c.78G>A) was significantly associated with three PRNT haplotypes (17C-112G-129T-144A,17CT-112GC-129CT-144AG and 17T-112C-129C-144G), and the only three animals found homozygous at c.78A had the 17C-112G-129C-144A PRNT haplotype. These results constitute evidence of an association between polymorphic variation in PRND and PRNT genes, as has already been observed for PRND and prion protein gene (PRNP).
authors.affiliation: INIAV, Quinta da Fonte Boa, 2005-048, Vale de Santarém, Portugal.|CIISA, ULisboa, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mesquita
authors.affiliation: INIAV, Quinta da Fonte Boa, 2005-048, Vale de Santarém, Portugal.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.affiliation: INIAV, Quinta da Fonte Boa, 2005-048, Vale de Santarém, Portugal.|CIISA, ULisboa, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.affiliation: INIAV, Quinta da Fonte Boa, 2005-048, Vale de Santarém, Portugal.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Santos Silva
authors.affiliation: INIAV, Quinta da Fonte Boa, 2005-048, Vale de Santarém, Portugal.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Oliveira Sousa
authors.affiliation: INIAV, Quinta da Fonte Boa, 2005-048, Vale de Santarém, Portugal.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Carolino
authors.affiliation: INIAV, Quinta da Fonte Boa, 2005-048, Vale de Santarém, Portugal.|CIISA, ULisboa, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pimenta
authors.affiliation: CIISA, ULisboa, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: C M G A
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Fontes
authors.affiliation: INIAV, Quinta da Fonte Boa, 2005-048, Vale de Santarém, Portugal.
authors.forename: A E M
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Horta
authors.affiliation: CIISA, ULisboa, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: J A M
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Prates
authors.affiliation: INIAV, Quinta da Fonte Boa, 2005-048, Vale de Santarém, Portugal.|CIISA, ULisboa, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Pereira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001947:Breeding; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006239:Haplotypes; D008297:Male; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; D011174:Portugal; D011328:Prions / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D034561:Sheep, Domestic / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D011328:Prions
keywords: fertility; ovine; prion protein 2 dublet; restriction fragment length polymorphism; single nucleotide polymorphisms; single-strand conformation polymorphism