title: High prevalence of prion protein genotype associated with resistance to chronic wasting disease in one Alberta woodland caribou population.
abstract: Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease found in deer, elk and moose in North America and since recently, wild reindeer in Norway. Caribou are at-risk to encounter CWD in areas such as Alberta, Canada, where the disease spreads toward caribou habitats. CWD susceptibility is modulated by species-specific polymorphisms in the prion protein gene (Prnp). We sequenced Prnp of woodland caribou from 9 Albertan populations. In one population (Chinchaga) a significantly higher frequency of the 138N allele linked to reduced CWD susceptibility was observed. These data are relevant for developing CWD management strategies including conservation of threatened caribou populations.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ecosystem and Public Health , Calgary Prion Research Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary , Calgary , Canada.
authors.forename: Yo Ching
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: b Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science , University of Calgary , Calgary , Canada.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Musiani
authors.affiliation: b Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science , University of Calgary , Calgary , Canada.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cavedon
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ecosystem and Public Health , Calgary Prion Research Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary , Calgary , Canada.
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gilch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D000072002:Prion Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D065840:Protective Factors; D012053:Reindeer / Q000235:genetics*; D034081:Wasting Disease, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000072002:Prion Proteins
keywords: caribou; chronic wasting disease; conservation; genetic resistance; prion protein; prion protein gene polymorphism