1
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Fameli AF, Edson J, Banfield JE, Rosenberry CS, Walter WD. Variability in prion protein genotypes by spatial unit to inform susceptibility to chronic wasting disease. Prion 2022; 16:254-264. [PMID: 36104983 PMCID: PMC9481152 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2022.2117535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal encephalopathy affecting North American cervids. Certain alleles in a host's prion protein gene are responsible for reduced susceptibility to CWD. We assessed for the first time variability in the prion protein gene of elk (Cervus canadensis) present in Pennsylvania, United States of America, a reintroduced population for which CWD cases have never been reported. We sequenced the prion protein gene (PRNP) of 565 elk samples collected over 7 years (2014-2020) and found two polymorphic sites (codon 21 and codon 132). The allele associated with reduced susceptibility to CWD is present in the population, and there was no evidence of deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in any of our sampling years (p-values between 0.14 and 1), consistent with the lack of selective pressure on the PRNP. The less susceptible genotypes were found in a frequency similar to the ones reported for elk populations in the states of Wyoming and South Dakota before CWD was detected. We calculated the proportion of less susceptible genotypes in each hunt zone in Pennsylvania as a proxy for their vulnerability to the establishment of CWD, and interpolated these results to obtain a surface representing expected proportion of the less susceptible genotypes across the area. Based on this analysis, hunt zones located in the southern part of our study area have a low proportion of less susceptible genotypes, which is discouraging for elk persistence in Pennsylvania given that these hunt zones are adjacent to the deer Disease Management Area 3, where CWD has been present since 2014.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto F. Fameli
- Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA,CONTACT Alberto F. Fameli Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA16802, USA
| | - Jessie Edson
- Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Jeremiah E. Banfield
- Pennsylvania Game Commission, Bureau of Wildlife Management, 2001 Elmerton Avenue,Harrisburg, PA, USA
| | - Christopher S. Rosenberry
- Pennsylvania Game Commission, Bureau of Wildlife Management, 2001 Elmerton Avenue,Harrisburg, PA, USA
| | - W. David Walter
- U.S. Geological Survey, Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 403 Forest Resources Building, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
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2
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Impact of landcover composition and density of localized deer culling sites on chronic wasting disease prevalence. Prev Vet Med 2022; 208:105774. [DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2022.105774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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3
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Perrin-Stowe TI, Ishida Y, Reed DM, Terrill EE, Ryder OA, Novakofski JE, Mateus-Pinilla NE, Pukazhenthi BS, Roca AL. Extrapolating the susceptibility of Eld’s deer (Rucervus eldii thamin) to chronic wasting disease from prion protein gene (PRNP) polymorphisms. FRONTIERS IN CONSERVATION SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fcosc.2022.1007100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease of North American cervids. The transmission of CWD to endangered cervid species is of concern for captive breeding programs. Trans-species transmission could occur via direct contact with infected wild deer, or via prion contaminated fomites. Variation in the prion protein gene, PRNP, is associated with differences in CWD susceptibility among cervids. We therefore sequenced PRNP in 36 endangered Eld’s deer (Rucervus eldii thamin), detecting five synonymous and two non-synonymous SNPs. Three haplotypes were inferred, suggesting that genetic management in captive breeding programs has been effective at maintaining PRNP diversity. The haplotypes encoded two PrP protein variants. The more common Eld’s deer PrP variant encodes methionine at codon 208 and glutamine at codon 226. Because this protein variant is identical to a common PrP variant in white-tailed deer and mule deer and is especially common in white-tailed deer positive for CWD, we recommend reducing the frequency of this variant in the breeding stock, while implementing strict management practices to avoid exposure to wild North American cervids. The frequency of the other PrP variant, which differs from variants present in these North American cervids, was low. It has the potential to reduce susceptibility to CWD and thus could be increased in frequency. While PRNP haplotype frequencies should be shifted, genetic diversity should be maintained. Ultimately protein diversity may be protective should CWD infect the species, and trans-species polymorphisms are suggestive of past balancing selection and a potential fitness advantage for PRNP diversity.
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4
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Varga C, McDonald P, Brown WM, Shelton P, Roca AL, Novakofski JE, Mateus‐Pinilla NE. Evaluating the ability of a locally focused culling program in removing chronic wasting disease infected free-ranging white-tailed deer in Illinois, USA, 2003-2020. Transbound Emerg Dis 2022; 69:2867-2878. [PMID: 34953169 PMCID: PMC9786818 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
In northern Illinois, chronic wasting disease (CWD) was first identified in free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; hereafter referred to as "deer") in 2002. To reduce CWD transmission rates in Illinois, wildlife biologists have conducted locally focussed culling of deer since 2003 in areas where CWD has been detected. We used retrospective spatial, temporal and space-time scan statistical models to identify areas and periods where culling removed higher than expected numbers of CWD-positive deer. We included 490 Public Land Survey "sections" (∼2.59 km2 ) from 15 northern Illinois counties in which at least one deer tested positive for CWD between 2003 and 2020. A negative binomial regression model compared the proportion of CWD positive cases removed from sections with at least one CWD case detected in the previous years, "local area 1 (L1)," to the proportion of CWD cases in adjacent sections-L2, L3, and L4-designated by their increasing distance from L1. Of the 14,661 deer removed and tested via culling, 325 (2.22 %) were CWD-positive. A single temporal CWD cluster occurred in 2020. Three spatial clusters were identified, with a primary cluster located at the border of Boone and Winnebago counties. Four space-time clusters were identified with a primary cluster in the northern portion of the study area from 2003 to 2005 that overlapped with the spatial cluster. The proportion of CWD cases removed from L1 (3.92, 95% CI, 2.56-6.01) and L2 (2.32, 95% CI, 1.50-3.59) were significantly higher compared to L3. Focussing culling efforts on accessible properties closest to L1 areas results in more CWD-infected deer being removed, which highlights the value of collaborations among landowners, hunters, and wildlife management agencies to control CWD. Continuous evaluation and updating of the culling and surveillance programs are essential to mitigate the health burden of CWD on deer populations in Illinois.
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Affiliation(s)
- Csaba Varga
- Department of PathobiologyCollege of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic BiologyUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Patrick McDonald
- Illinois Department of Natural ResourcesDivision of Wildlife ResourcesSpringfieldIllinoisUSA
| | - William M. Brown
- Department of PathobiologyCollege of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Paul Shelton
- Illinois Department of Natural ResourcesDivision of Wildlife ResourcesSpringfieldIllinoisUSA
| | - Alfred L. Roca
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic BiologyUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA,Illinois Natural History Survey‐Prairie Research InstituteUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignChampaignIllinoisUSA,Department of Animal SciencesUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Jan E. Novakofski
- Illinois Natural History Survey‐Prairie Research InstituteUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignChampaignIllinoisUSA,Department of Animal SciencesUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Nohra E. Mateus‐Pinilla
- Department of PathobiologyCollege of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA,Illinois Natural History Survey‐Prairie Research InstituteUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignChampaignIllinoisUSA,Department of Animal SciencesUniversity of Illinois Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
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5
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London EW, Roca AL, Novakofski JE, Mateus-Pinilla NE. A De Novo Chromosome-level Genome Assembly of the White-tailed Deer, Odocoileus virginianus. J Hered 2022; 113:479-489. [PMID: 35511871 PMCID: PMC9308042 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esac022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cervids are distinguished by the shedding and regrowth of antlers. Furthermore, they provide insights into prion and other diseases. Genomic resources can facilitate studies of the genetic underpinnings of deer phenotypes, behavior, and disease resistance. Widely distributed in North America, the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) has recreational, commercial, and food source value for many households. We present a genome generated using DNA from a single Illinois white-tailed sequenced on the PacBio Sequel II platform and assembled using Wtdbg2. Omni-C chromatin conformation capture sequencing was used to scaffold the genome contigs. The final assembly was 2.42 Gb, consisting of 508 scaffolds with a contig N50 of 21.7 Mb, a scaffold N50 of 52.4 Mb, and a BUSCO complete score of 93.1%. Thirty-six chromosome pseudomolecules comprised 93% of the entire sequenced genome length. A total of 20 651 predicted genes using the BRAKER pipeline were validated using InterProScan. Chromosome length assembly sequences were aligned to the genomes of related species to reveal corresponding chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan W London
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA.,Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Alfred L Roca
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA.,Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Jan E Novakofski
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA.,Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Nohra E Mateus-Pinilla
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA.,Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
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6
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Perrin-Stowe TIN, Ishida Y, Terrill EE, Beetem D, Ryder OA, Novakofski JE, Mateus-Pinilla NE, Roca AL. Variation in the PRNP gene of Pere David’s deer (Elaphurus davidianus) may impact genetic vulnerability to chronic wasting disease. CONSERV GENET 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-021-01419-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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7
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Ott-Conn CN, Blanchong JA, Larson WA. Prion protein polymorphisms in Michigan white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus). Prion 2021; 15:183-190. [PMID: 34751633 PMCID: PMC8583003 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2021.1990628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a well-described transmissible spongiform encephalopathy of the Cervidae family, is associated with the aggregation of an abnormal isoform (PrPCWD) of the naturally occurring host prion protein (PrPC). Variations in the PrP gene (PRNP) have been associated with CWD rate of infection and disease progression. We analysed 568 free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from 9 CWD-positive Michigan counties for PRNP polymorphisms. Sampling included 185 CWD-positive, 332 CWD non-detected, and an additional 51 CWD non-detected paired to CWD-positives by sex, age, and harvest location. We found 12 polymorphic sites of which 5 were non-synonymous and resulted in a change in amino acid composition. Thirteen haplotypes were predicted, of which 11 have previously been described. Using logistic regression, consistent with other studies, we found haplotypes C (OR = 0.488, 95% CI = 0.321–0.730, P < 0.001) and F (OR = 0.122, 95% CI = 0.007–0.612, P < 0.05) and diplotype BC (OR = 0.340, 95% CI = 0.154–0.709, P < 0.01) were less likely to be found in deer infected with CWD. As has also been documented in other studies, the presence of a serine at amino acid 96 was less likely to be found in deer infected with CWD (P < 0.001, OR = 0.360 and 95% CI = 0.227–0.556). Identification of PRNP polymorphisms associated with reduced vulnerability to CWD in Michigan deer and their spatial distribution can help managers design surveillance programmesand identify and prioritize areas for CWD management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin N Ott-Conn
- Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Disease Laboratory, Lansing, USA
| | - Julie A Blanchong
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Wes A Larson
- National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Juneau, AK, USA
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8
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Ishida Y, Tian T, Brandt AL, Kelly AC, Shelton P, Roca AL, Novakofski J, Mateus-Pinilla NE. Association of chronic wasting disease susceptibility with prion protein variation in white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus). Prion 2021; 14:214-225. [PMID: 32835598 PMCID: PMC7518741 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2020.1805288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is caused by prions, infectious proteinaceous particles, PrPCWD. We sequenced the PRNP gene of 2,899 white-tailed deer (WTD) from Illinois and southern Wisconsin, finding 38 haplotypes. Haplotypes A, B, D, E, G and 10 others encoded Q95G96S100N103A123Q226, designated ‘PrP variant A.’ Haplotype C and five other haplotypes encoded PrP ‘variant C’ (Q95S96S100N103A123Q226). Haplotype F and three other haplotypes encoded PrP ‘variant F’ (H95G96S100N103A123Q226). The association of CWD with encoded PrP variants was examined in 2,537 tested WTD from counties with CWD. Relative to PrP variant A, CWD susceptibility was lower in deer with PrP variant C (OR = 0.26, p < 0.001), and even lower in deer with PrP variant F (OR = 0.10, p < 0.0001). Susceptibility to CWD was highest in deer with both chromosomes encoding PrP variant A, lower with one copy encoding PrP variant A (OR = 0.25, p < 0.0001) and lowest in deer without PrP variant A (OR = 0.07, p < 0.0001). There appeared to be incomplete dominance for haplotypes encoding PrP variant C in reducing CWD susceptibility. Deer with both chromosomes encoding PrP variant F (FF) or one encoding PrP variant C and the other F (CF) were all CWD negative. Our results suggest that an increased population frequency of PrP variants C or F and a reduced frequency of PrP variant A may reduce the risk of CWD infection. Understanding the population and geographic distribution of PRNP polymorphisms may be a useful tool in CWD management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuko Ishida
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Ting Tian
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Champaign, IL, USA.,School of Mathematics, Sun Yat-sen University , Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Adam L Brandt
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Champaign, IL, USA.,Division of Natural Sciences, St. Norbert College , De Pere, WI, USA
| | - Amy C Kelly
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Champaign, IL, USA.,Bayer U.S. - Crop Sciences Biotechnology Genomics and Data Science, BB4929-A , Chesterfield, MO, USA
| | - Paul Shelton
- Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife Resources , Springfield, IL, USA
| | - Alfred L Roca
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL, USA.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Jan Novakofski
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL, USA.,Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Nohra E Mateus-Pinilla
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL, USA.,Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Champaign, IL, USA
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9
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Chafin TK, Douglas MR, Martin BT, Zbinden ZD, Middaugh CR, Ballard JR, Gray MC, Don White, Douglas ME. Age structuring and spatial heterogeneity in prion protein gene ( PRNP) polymorphism in white-tailed deer. Prion 2021; 14:238-248. [PMID: 33078661 PMCID: PMC7575228 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2020.1832947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic-wasting disease (CWD) is a prion-derived fatal neurodegenerative disease that has affected wild cervid populations on a global scale. Susceptibility has been linked unambiguously to several amino acid variants within the prion protein gene (PRNP). Quantifying their distribution across landscapes can provide critical information for agencies attempting to adaptively manage CWD. Here we attempt to further define management implications of PRNP polymorphism by quantifying the contemporary geographic distribution (i.e., phylogeography) of PRNP variants in hunter-harvested white-tailed deer (WTD; Odocoileus virginianus, N = 1433) distributed across Arkansas (USA), including a focal spot for CWD since detection of the disease in February 2016. Of these, PRNP variants associated with the well-characterized 96S non-synonymous substitution showed a significant increase in relative frequency among older CWD-positive cohorts. We interpreted this pattern as reflective of a longer life expectancy for 96S genotypes in a CWD-endemic region, suggesting either decreased probabilities of infection or reduced disease progression. Other variants showing statistical signatures of potential increased susceptibility, however, seemingly reflect an artefact of population structure. We also showed marked heterogeneity across the landscape in the prevalence of ‘reduced susceptibility’ genotypes. This may indicate, in turn, that differences in disease susceptibility among WTD in Arkansas are an innate, population-level characteristic that is detectable through phylogeographic analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler K Chafin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas , Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Marlis R Douglas
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas , Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Bradley T Martin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas , Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Zachery D Zbinden
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas , Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Christopher R Middaugh
- Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Research, Evaluation, and Compliance Division , Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Jennifer R Ballard
- Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Research, Evaluation, and Compliance Division , Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - M Cory Gray
- Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Research, Evaluation, and Compliance Division , Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Don White
- University of Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station , Monticello, AR, USA
| | - Michael E Douglas
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas , Fayetteville, AR, USA
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10
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Roh IS, Kim YC, Kim HJ, Won SY, Jeong MJ, Hwang JY, Kang HE, Sohn HJ, Jeong BH. Polymorphisms of the prion-related protein gene are strongly associated with cervids' susceptibility to chronic wasting disease. Vet Rec 2021; 190:e940. [PMID: 34562285 DOI: 10.1002/vetr.940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a cervid prion disease that is caused by abnormal prion protein (PrPSc ). Recent studies have reported that prion family genes showed a strong association with the susceptibility of several types of prion diseases. To date, an association study of the prion-related protein gene (PRNT) has not been performed in any type of cervid prion disease. METHODS In the present study, we investigated PRNT polymorphisms in large deer, including 235 elk, 257 red deer and 150 sika deer. We compared genotype, allele and haplotype frequencies of PRNT polymorphisms between CWD-negative animals and CWD-positive animals to find an association of PRNT polymorphisms with the susceptibility of CWD. RESULTS We found a total of five novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the cervid PRNT gene. Interestingly, we observed significantly different distributions of genotypes and allele frequencies of three PRNT SNPs, including c.108C>T, c.159+30C>T and c.159+32A>C, between CWD-negative and CWD-positive red deer. In addition, significant differences of two haplotype frequencies in red deer were found between the CWD-negative and CWD-positive groups. However, the association identified in the red deer was not found in elk and sika deer. CONCLUSION To the best of our knowledge, this report is the first to describe the strong association of PRNT SNPs with the susceptibility of CWD.
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Affiliation(s)
- In-Soon Roh
- Reference Laboratory for CWD, Foreign Animal Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong-Chan Kim
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, Republic of Korea.,Department of Bioactive Material Sciences and Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyo-Jin Kim
- Reference Laboratory for CWD, Foreign Animal Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Sae-Young Won
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, Republic of Korea.,Department of Bioactive Material Sciences and Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Ju Jeong
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, Republic of Korea.,Department of Bioactive Material Sciences and Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-Yong Hwang
- Reference Laboratory for CWD, Foreign Animal Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hae-Eun Kang
- Reference Laboratory for CWD, Foreign Animal Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Joo Sohn
- Reference Laboratory for CWD, Foreign Animal Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung-Hoon Jeong
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, Republic of Korea.,Department of Bioactive Material Sciences and Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Republic of Korea
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11
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Perrin-Stowe TIN, Ishida Y, Terrill EE, Hamlin BC, Penfold L, Cusack LM, Novakofski J, Mateus-Pinilla NE, Roca AL. Prion Protein Gene (PRNP) Sequences Suggest Differing Vulnerability to Chronic Wasting Disease for Florida Key Deer (Odocoileus virginianus clavium) and Columbian White-Tailed Deer (O. v. leucurus). J Hered 2021; 111:564-572. [PMID: 32945850 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esaa040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal, highly transmissible spongiform encephalopathy caused by an infectious prion protein. CWD is spreading across North American cervids. Studies of the prion protein gene (PRNP) in white-tailed deer (WTD; Odocoileus virginianus) have identified non-synonymous substitutions associated with reduced CWD frequency. Because CWD is spreading rapidly geographically, it may impact cervids of conservation concern. Here, we examined the genetic vulnerability to CWD of 2 subspecies of WTD: the endangered Florida Key deer (O. v. clavium) and the threatened Columbian WTD (O. v. leucurus). In Key deer (n = 48), we identified 3 haplotypes formed by 5 polymorphisms, of which 2 were non-synonymous. The polymorphism c.574G>A, unique to Key deer (29 of 96 chromosomes), encodes a non-synonymous substitution from valine to isoleucine at codon 192. In 91 of 96 chromosomes, Key deer carried c.286G>A (G96S), previously associated with substantially reduced susceptibility to CWD. Key deer may be less genetically susceptible to CWD than many mainland WTD populations. In Columbian WTD (n = 13), 2 haplotypes separated by one synonymous substitution (c.438C>T) were identified. All of the Columbian WTD carried alleles that in other mainland populations are associated with relatively high susceptibility to CWD. While larger sampling is needed, future management plans should consider that Columbian WTD are likely to be genetically more vulnerable to CWD than many other WTD populations. Finally, we suggest that genetic vulnerability to CWD be assessed by sequencing PRNP across other endangered cervids, both wild and in captive breeding facilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tolulope I N Perrin-Stowe
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL.,School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
| | - Yasuko Ishida
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
| | - Emily E Terrill
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
| | - Brian C Hamlin
- United States Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement National Fish and Wildlife Forensic Laboratory, Ashland, OR
| | - Linda Penfold
- South-East Zoo Alliance for Reproduction and Conservation, Yulee, FL
| | - Lara M Cusack
- Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Naples, FL
| | - Jan Novakofski
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
| | - Nohra E Mateus-Pinilla
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL.,Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
| | - Alfred L Roca
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL.,Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
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12
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Selective Breeding for Disease-Resistant PRNP Variants to Manage Chronic Wasting Disease in Farmed Whitetail Deer. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12091396. [PMID: 34573378 PMCID: PMC8471411 DOI: 10.3390/genes12091396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) of cervids caused by a misfolded variant of the normal cellular prion protein, and it is closely related to sheep scrapie. Variations in a host's prion gene, PRNP, and its primary protein structure dramatically affect susceptibility to specific prion disorders, and breeding for PRNP variants that prevent scrapie infection has led to steep declines in the disease in North American and European sheep. While resistant alleles have been identified in cervids, a PRNP variant that completely prevents CWD has not yet been identified. Thus, control of the disease in farmed herds traditionally relies on quarantine and depopulation. In CWD-endemic areas, depopulation of private herds becomes challenging to justify, leading to opportunities to manage the disease in situ. We developed a selective breeding program for farmed white-tailed deer in a high-prevalence CWD-endemic area which focused on reducing frequencies of highly susceptible PRNP variants and introducing animals with less susceptible variants. With the use of newly developed primers, we found that breeding followed predictable Mendelian inheritance, and early data support our project's utility in reducing CWD prevalence. This project represents a novel approach to CWD management, with future efforts building on these findings.
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Towards a more healthy conservation paradigm: integrating disease and molecular ecology to aid biological conservation †. J Genet 2021. [PMID: 33622992 PMCID: PMC7371965 DOI: 10.1007/s12041-020-01225-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Parasites, and the diseases they cause, are important from an ecological and evolutionary perspective because they can negatively affect host fitness and can regulate host populations. Consequently, conservation biology has long recognized the vital role that parasites can play in the process of species endangerment and recovery. However, we are only beginning to understand how deeply parasites are embedded in ecological systems, and there is a growing recognition of the important ways in which parasites affect ecosystem structure and function. Thus, there is an urgent need to revisit how parasites are viewed from a conservation perspective and broaden the role that disease ecology plays in conservation-related research and outcomes. This review broadly focusses on the role that disease ecology can play in biological conservation. Our review specifically emphasizes on how the integration of tools and analytical approaches associated with both disease and molecular ecology can be leveraged to aid conservation biology. Our review first concentrates on disease-mediated extinctions and wildlife epidemics. We then focus on elucidating how host–parasite interactions has improved our understanding of the eco-evolutionary dynamics affecting hosts at the individual, population, community and ecosystem scales. We believe that the role of parasites as drivers and indicators of ecosystem health is especially an exciting area of research that has the potential to fundamentally alter our view of parasites and their role in biological conservation. The review concludes with a broad overview of the current and potential applications of modern genomic tools in disease ecology to aid biological conservation.
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Tewari D, Steward D, Fasnacht M, Livengood J. Detection by real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC), ELISA, and IHC of chronic wasting disease prion in lymph nodes from Pennsylvania white-tailed deer with specific PRNP genotypes. J Vet Diagn Invest 2021; 33:943-948. [PMID: 34078193 DOI: 10.1177/10406387211021411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion-mediated, transmissible disease of cervids, including deer (Odocoileus spp.), which is characterized by spongiform encephalopathy and death of the prion-infected animals. Official surveillance in the United States using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and ELISA entails the laborious collection of lymphoid and/or brainstem tissue after death. New, highly sensitive prion detection methods, such as real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC), have shown promise in detecting abnormal prions from both antemortem and postmortem specimens. We compared RT-QuIC with ELISA and IHC for CWD detection utilizing deer retropharyngeal lymph node (RLN) tissues in a diagnostic laboratory setting. The RLNs were collected postmortem from hunter-harvested animals. RT-QuIC showed 100% sensitivity and specificity for 50 deer RLN (35 positive by both IHC and ELISA, 15 negative) included in our study. All deer were also genotyped for PRNP polymorphism. Most deer were homozygous at codons 95, 96, 116, and 226 (QQ/GG/AA/QQ genotype, with frequency 0.86), which are the codons implicated in disease susceptibility. Heterozygosity was noticed in Pennsylvania deer, albeit at a very low frequency, for codons 95GS (0.06) and 96QH (0.08), but deer with these genotypes were still found to be CWD prion-infected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepanker Tewari
- Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostics, Harrisburg, PA, USA
| | - David Steward
- Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostics, Harrisburg, PA, USA
| | - Melinda Fasnacht
- Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostics, Harrisburg, PA, USA
| | - Julia Livengood
- Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostics, Harrisburg, PA, USA
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15
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Haworth SE, Nituch L, Northrup JM, Shafer ABA. Characterizing the demographic history and prion protein variation to infer susceptibility to chronic wasting disease in a naïve population of white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus). Evol Appl 2021; 14:1528-1539. [PMID: 34178102 PMCID: PMC8210793 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Assessments of the adaptive potential in natural populations are essential for understanding and predicting responses to environmental stressors like climate change and infectious disease. Species face a range of stressors in human-dominated landscapes, often with contrasting effects. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; deer) are expanding in the northern part of their range following decreasing winter severity and increasing forage availability. Chronic wasting disease (CWD), a prion disease affecting deer, is likewise expanding and represents a major threat to deer and other cervids. We obtained tissue samples from free-ranging deer across their native range in Ontario, Canada, which has yet to detect CWD in wild populations. We used high-throughput sequencing to assess neutral genomic variation and variation in the prion protein gene (PRNP) that is partly responsible for the protein misfolding when deer contract CWD. Neutral variation revealed a high number of rare alleles and no population structure, and demographic models suggested a rapid historical population expansion. Allele frequencies of PRNP variants associated with CWD susceptibility and disease progression were evenly distributed across the landscape and consistent with deer populations not infected with CWD. We estimated the selection coefficient of CWD, with simulations showing an observable and rapid shift in PRNP allele frequencies that coincides with the start of a novel CWD outbreak. Sustained surveillance of genomic and PRNP variation can be a useful tool for guiding management practices, which is especially important for CWD-free regions where deer are managed for ecological and economic benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E. Haworth
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate ProgramTrent UniversityPeterboroughONCanada
| | - Larissa Nituch
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring SectionOntario Ministry of Natural Resources and ForestryTrent UniversityPeterboroughONCanada
| | - Joseph M. Northrup
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate ProgramTrent UniversityPeterboroughONCanada
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring SectionOntario Ministry of Natural Resources and ForestryTrent UniversityPeterboroughONCanada
| | - Aaron B. A. Shafer
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate ProgramTrent UniversityPeterboroughONCanada
- Department of ForensicsTrent UniversityPeterboroughONCanada
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16
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Hedman HD, Varga C, Brown WM, Shelton P, Roca AL, Novakofski JE, Mateus-Pinilla NE. Spatial analysis of chronic wasting disease in free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Illinois, 2008-2019. Transbound Emerg Dis 2020; 68:2376-2383. [PMID: 33112021 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the geographic distribution and clustering of chronic wasting disease (CWD) among free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations can inform disease management practices. We used a retrospective analysis of surveillance data to evaluate CWD's spatial and temporal dynamics within 16 CWD-infected northern Illinois counties. Of 42,541 deer samples collected and tested for CWD from recreational hunter harvest between 2008 and 2019, we recorded 359 (0.84%) CWD-positive samples. We observed variability in CWD cases over time and space. By county, the median CWD-positive proportion was 0.84%, varying from a minimum of 0.14% in McHenry County to a maximum of 6.28% in Boone County. Across years, there were differences among CWD-positive proportions with a median of 0.90%, ranging from a minimum of 0.27% in 2012 to a maximum of 1.60% in 2019. We used a retrospective discrete Poisson scan statistic model to evaluate the space-time clustering of CWD-positive deer. We identified a statistically significant (p < .001) primary cluster C1 (area = 23.59 km2 ; RR = 10.48), occurring from 2010 to 2015 in the north-central part of the study area, and a secondary cluster C2, occurring from 2014 to 2019 (area = 9.27 km2 ; RR = 3.88) in the north-west of the study area. Detected CWD-positive space-time clusters suggest that the risk of CWD is not random. Space-time clusters of CWD can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the Illinois CWD management programme. The area surrounding the older C1 cluster has undergone longer and more intense CWD management compared with C2. Currently, the older C1 cluster is no longer as high risk compared with the newer cluster C2, suggesting that management efforts in C2 should be increased. However, all CWD clusters should be targeted with surveillance, prevention and management programmes, including reducing deer densities to limit further spread of CWD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayden D Hedman
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Csaba Varga
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - William M Brown
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Paul Shelton
- Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife Resources, Springfield, IL, USA
| | - Alfred L Roca
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA.,Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Jan E Novakofski
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA.,Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Nohra E Mateus-Pinilla
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA.,Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.,Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
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Silva CJ, Erickson-Beltran ML, Duque Velásquez C, Aiken JM, McKenzie D. A General Mass Spectrometry-Based Method of Quantitating Prion Polymorphisms from Heterozygous Chronic Wasting Disease-Infected Cervids. Anal Chem 2019; 92:1276-1284. [PMID: 31815434 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b04449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is the only prion disease naturally transmitted among farmed and free-ranging cervids (deer, elk, moose, etc.). These diseases are always fatal and have long asymptomatic incubation periods. By 2019, CWD-infected cervids had been detected in 26 states, three Canadian provinces, South Korea, Norway, Finland, and Sweden. Prions (PrPSc) replicate by inducing a normal cellular prion protein (PrPC) to adopt the prion conformation. This prion templated conformational conversion is influenced by PrPC polymorphisms. Cervid PrPC contains at least 20 different polymorphic sites. By using chymotrypsin, trypsin, or trypsin followed by chymotrypsin to digest denatured cervid PrP, 19 peptides suitable for multiple reaction monitoring (MRM)-based analysis and spanning positions 30-51, 61-112, and 114-231 of cervid PrP were identified. Ten of these peptides span polymorphism-containing regions of cervid PrP. The other nine contain no polymorphisms, so they can be used as internal standards. Calibration curves relating the area ratios of MRM signals from polymorphism-containing peptides to appropriate internal standard peptides were linear and had excellent correlation coefficients. Samples from heterozygous (G96/S96) white-tailed deer orally dosed with CWD from homozygous (G96/G96) deer were analyzed. The G96 polymorphism comprised 75 ± 5% of the total PrP from the G96/S96 heterozygotes. Heterozygous animals facilitate conversion of different PrPC polymorphisms into PrPSc. This approach can be used to quantitate the relative amounts of the polymorphisms present in other animal species and even humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Silva
- Produce Safety and Microbiology Research Unit, Western Regional Research Center, United States Department of Agriculture , Agricultural Research Service , 800 Buchanan Street , Albany , California 94710 , United States of America
| | - Melissa L Erickson-Beltran
- Produce Safety and Microbiology Research Unit, Western Regional Research Center, United States Department of Agriculture , Agricultural Research Service , 800 Buchanan Street , Albany , California 94710 , United States of America
| | - Camilo Duque Velásquez
- University of Alberta , Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases , 114 Brain and Aging Research Building , Edmonton , Alberta T6G 2M8 , Canada
| | - Judd M Aiken
- University of Alberta , Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases , 114 Brain and Aging Research Building , Edmonton , Alberta T6G 2M8 , Canada
| | - Debbie McKenzie
- University of Alberta , Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases , 114 Brain and Aging Research Building , Edmonton , Alberta T6G 2M8 , Canada
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Haley NJ, Merrett K, Buros Stein A, Simpson D, Carlson A, Mitchell G, Staskevicius A, Nichols T, Lehmkuhl AD, Thomsen BV. Estimating relative CWD susceptibility and disease progression in farmed white-tailed deer with rare PRNP alleles. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0224342. [PMID: 31790424 PMCID: PMC6886763 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease is a prion disease affecting both free-ranging and farmed cervids in North America and Scandinavia. A range of cervid species have been found to be susceptible, each with variations in the gene for the normal prion protein, PRNP, reportedly influencing both disease susceptibility and progression in the respective hosts. Despite the finding of several different PRNP alleles in white-tailed deer, the majority of past research has focused on two of the more common alleles identified-the 96G and 96S alleles. In the present study, we evaluate both infection status and disease stage in nearly 2100 farmed deer depopulated in the United States and Canada, including 714 CWD-positive deer and correlate our findings with PRNP genotype, including the more rare 95H, 116G, and 226K alleles. We found significant differences in either likelihood of being found infected or disease stage (and in many cases both) at the time of depopulation in all genotypes present, relative to the most common 96GG genotype. Despite high prevalence in many of the herds examined, infection was not found in several of the reported genotypes. These findings suggest that additional research is necessary to more properly define the role that these genotypes may play in managing CWD in both farmed and free-ranging white-tailed deer, with consideration for factors including relative fitness levels, incubation periods, and the kinetics of shedding in animals with these rare genotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J. Haley
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, Arizona
| | - Kahla Merrett
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, Arizona
| | - Amy Buros Stein
- Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, Midwestern University, Glendale, Arizona
| | - Dennis Simpson
- Simpson Whitetails Genetic Testing, Belleville, Michigan
| | - Andrew Carlson
- Simpson Whitetails Genetic Testing, Belleville, Michigan
| | - Gordon Mitchell
- National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Scrapie and CWD, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ottawa Laboratory-Fallowfield, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Antanas Staskevicius
- National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Scrapie and CWD, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ottawa Laboratory-Fallowfield, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tracy Nichols
- United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS, Veterinary Services, Cervid Health Program, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Aaron D. Lehmkuhl
- United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS, Veterinary Services, National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Bruce V. Thomsen
- United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS, Veterinary Services, National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
- United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS, Veterinary Services, Center for Veterinary Biologics, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
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19
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Geographic Distribution of Chronic Wasting Disease Resistant Alleles in Nebraska, with Comments on the Evolution of Resistance. JOURNAL OF FISH AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 2019. [DOI: 10.3996/012019-jfwm-002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Infectious diseases create major challenges for wildlife management. In particular, prion diseases are fatal and incurable, leaving managers with limited options. In cervids, chronic wasting disease (CWD) can decimate captive and wild populations by affecting neural tissue leading to body control loss, decay, and ultimately death resulting in ecological and economic consequences. Partial protection against CWD results from some genotypes at the prion (PRNP) locus encoding PrP proteins that are less likely to misfold and build up to fatal levels in the central nervous system. Although multiple studies have documented the association between CWD susceptibility and genotypes, little is known about the distribution of resistant genotypes across the natural landscape, and whether population pockets of protection in exist in particular regions. We surveyed the genetic variability and distribution of resistant alleles and genotypes of the PRNP locus across Nebraska in deer collected in 2017, where mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and white-tailed (O. virginianus) deer ranges meet on the North American Great Plains. We found that CWD-resistant alleles occur throughout the state in low frequencies, and our data suggest little evidence of geographic structure for the PRNP locus. In Nebraska, there is a lower frequency of the most common resistance allele (S96) compared with white-tailed deer in other parts of the Midwest. The frequency of resistant alleles (F225) was lower in mule deer. The low but widespread frequency of resistance alleles suggests that each species could be susceptible to CWD spread. Continued monitoring would be useful to determine if the frequency of resistant alleles increases in areas with increasing CWD rates. Three synonymous fixed genotypes at the PRNP locus allowed detection of hybrids between mule deer and white-tailed deer, although we found none, suggesting that CWD is not spread between species via hybridization. We also compare the PRNP genotypes of scrapie-resistant sheep with those of deer, and suggest that a single base-pair mutation at the PRNP locus could provide resistance in deer.
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20
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Koutsoumanis K, Allende A, Alvarez-Ordoňez A, Bolton D, Bover-Cid S, Chemaly M, Davies R, De Cesare A, Herman L, Hilbert F, Lindqvist R, Nauta M, Peixe L, Ru G, Skandamis P, Suffredini E, Andreoletti O, Benestad SL, Comoy E, Nonno R, da Silva Felicio T, Ortiz-Pelaez A, Simmons MM. Update on chronic wasting disease (CWD) III. EFSA J 2019; 17:e05863. [PMID: 32626163 PMCID: PMC7008890 DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2019.5863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The European Commission asked EFSA for a Scientific Opinion: to revise the state of knowledge about the differences between the chronic wasting disease (CWD) strains found in North America (NA) and Europe and within Europe; to review new scientific evidence on the zoonotic potential of CWD and to provide recommendations to address the potential risks and to identify risk factors for the spread of CWD in the European Union. Full characterisation of European isolates is being pursued, whereas most NA CWD isolates have not been characterised in this way. The differing surveillance programmes in these continents result in biases in the types of cases that can be detected. Preliminary data support the contention that the CWD strains identified in Europe and NA are different and suggest the presence of strain diversity in European cervids. Current data do not allow any conclusion on the implications of strain diversity on transmissibility, pathogenesis or prevalence. Available data do not allow any conclusion on the zoonotic potential of NA or European CWD isolates. The risk of CWD to humans through consumption of meat cannot be directly assessed. At individual level, consumers of meat, meat products and offal derived from CWD-infected cervids will be exposed to the CWD agent(s). Measures to reduce human dietary exposure could be applied, but exclusion from the food chain of whole carcasses of infected animals would be required to eliminate exposure. Based on NA experiences, all the risk factors identified for the spread of CWD may be associated with animals accumulating infectivity in both the peripheral tissues and the central nervous system. A subset of risk factors is relevant for infected animals without involvement of peripheral tissues. All the risk factors should be taken into account due to the potential co-localisation of animals presenting with different disease phenotypes.
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Rivera NA, Brandt AL, Novakofski JE, Mateus-Pinilla NE. Chronic Wasting Disease In Cervids: Prevalence, Impact And Management Strategies. VETERINARY MEDICINE (AUCKLAND, N.Z.) 2019; 10:123-139. [PMID: 31632898 PMCID: PMC6778748 DOI: 10.2147/vmrr.s197404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) that affects members of the cervidae family. The infectious agent is a misfolded isoform (PrPSC) of the host prion protein (PrPC). The replication of PrPSC initiates a cascade of developmental changes that spread from cell to cell, individual to individual, and that for some TSEs, has crossed the species barrier. CWD can be transmitted horizontally and vertically, and it is the only TSE that affects free-ranging wildlife. While other TSEs are under control and even declining, infection rates of CWD continue to grow and the disease distribution continues to expand in North America and around the world. Since the first reported case in 1967, CWD has spread infecting captive and free-ranging cervids in 26 states in the US, 3 Canadian provinces, 3 European countries and has been found in captive cervids in South Korea. CWD causes considerable ecologic, economic and sociologic impact, as this is a 100% fatal highly contagious infectious disease, with no treatment or cure available. Because some TSEs have crossed the species barrier, the zoonotic potential of CWD is a concern for human health and continues to be investigated. Here we review the characteristics of the CWD prion protein, mechanisms of transmission and the role of genetics. We discuss the characteristics that contribute to prevalence and distribution. We also discuss the impact of CWD and review the management strategies that have been used to prevent and control the spread of CWD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelda A Rivera
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Adam L Brandt
- Division of Natural Sciences, St. Norbert College, De Pere, WI, USA
| | - Jan E Novakofski
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Nohra E Mateus-Pinilla
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
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