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Ferrari C, Punturiero C, Milanesi R, Delledonne A, Bagnato A, Strillacci MG. Exploring the genetic variability of the PRNP gene at codons 127, 142, 146, 154, 211, 222, and 240 in goats farmed in the Lombardy Region, Italy. Vet Res 2024; 55:99. [PMID: 39107851 PMCID: PMC11304840 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-024-01353-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Scrapie is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy affecting sheep and goats. The prion protein-encoding gene (PRNP) plays a crucial role in determining susceptibility and resistance to scrapie. At the European level, surveillance of scrapie is essential to prevent the spread of the disease to livestock. According to the Regulation EU 2020/772 polymorphisms K222, D/S146 could function as resistance alleles in the genetic management of disease prevention. In Italy, a breeding plan for scrapie eradication has not been implemented for goats. However, surveillance plans based on the PRNP genotype have been developed as a preventive measure for scrapie. This research aimed to describe the polymorphisms at 7 positions within the PRNP gene in 956 goats of the Alpine, Saanen and mixed populations farmed in the Lombardy Region in Italy. PRNP polymorphisms were detected using single nucleotide polymorphism markers included in the Neogen GGP Goat 70 k chip. The K222 allele occurred in all populations, with frequencies ranging from 2.1 to 12.7%. No animals carried the S/D146 resistance allele. However, it has been demonstrated that polymorphisms in the other positions analysed could influence resistance or susceptibility to scrapie outbreaks in different ways. Ten potentially distinct haplotypes were found, and the most prevalent of the three populations was H2, which differed from the wild type (H1) in terms of mutation (S vs P) at codon 240. This study provided additional information on the genetic variability of the PRNP gene in these populations in the Lombardy region of Italy, contributing to the development of genetic control measures for disease prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlotta Ferrari
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via dell'Università 6, 26900, Lodi, Italy.
| | - Chiara Punturiero
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via dell'Università 6, 26900, Lodi, Italy
| | - Raffaella Milanesi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via dell'Università 6, 26900, Lodi, Italy
| | - Andrea Delledonne
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via dell'Università 6, 26900, Lodi, Italy
| | - Alessandro Bagnato
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via dell'Università 6, 26900, Lodi, Italy
| | - Maria G Strillacci
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via dell'Università 6, 26900, Lodi, Italy
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Pakpahan S, Widayanti R, Artama WT, Budisatria IGS, Lühken G. Genetic variability of the prion protein gene in Indonesian goat breeds. Trop Anim Health Prod 2023; 55:87. [PMID: 36806784 PMCID: PMC9938069 DOI: 10.1007/s11250-023-03486-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
Scrapie is a naturally occurring transmissible spongiform encephalopathy in sheep and goats. Resistance or susceptibility of small ruminants to classical scrapie is influenced by polymorphisms in the prion protein gene (PRNP). PRNP variability in Indonesian indigenous goat breeds has not been investigated so far and therefore was the goal of this study. Sanger sequencing of the PRNP gene coding region in 72 goats of the seven Indonesian breeds Kacang, Gembrong, Samosir, Kejobong, Benggala, Jawarandu, and Peranakan Etawah revealed three amino acid substitutions, namely W102G, H143R, and S240P. Some silent mutations were also found at codons 42 (a/g), 138 (c/t), and 179 (g/t). The PRNP alleles K222 and D/S146 known to have significant protective effects on resistance to classical scrapie in goats were not detected. The allele R143, which may have a moderate protective effect, had a frequency of 12% among the analyzed Indonesian goat breeds. While R143 was missing in Kacang and Benggala, its frequency was highest in the breed Gembrong (32%). No scrapie cases have been reported in Indonesia until now. However, in the case that selection for protective PRNP variants would become a breeding goal, the analyzed breeds will not be very useful resources. Other goat breeds which are present in the country should be investigated regarding resistance to scrapie, too.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suhendra Pakpahan
- Research Center for Applied Zoology, Research Organization for Life Sciences, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Jl. Jakarta-Bogor Km.46, Cibinong, 16911 West Java Indonesia
| | - Rini Widayanti
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, 55281 Indonesia
| | - Wayan Tunas Artama
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, 55281 Indonesia
| | - I. Gede Suparta Budisatria
- Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Animal Science, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, 55281 Indonesia
| | - Gesine Lühken
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Justus-Liebig University, 35390, Giessen, Germany.
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Migliore S, Puleio R, Loria GR. Scrapie Control in EU Goat Population: Has the Last Gap Been Overcome? Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:581969. [PMID: 33134362 PMCID: PMC7550459 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.581969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Migliore
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Della Sicilia "A. Mirri", Palermo, Italy
| | - Roberto Puleio
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Della Sicilia "A. Mirri", Palermo, Italy
| | - Guido Ruggero Loria
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Della Sicilia "A. Mirri", Palermo, Italy
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Vitale M, Migliore S, Tilahun B, Abdurahaman M, Tolone M, Sammarco I, Di Marco Lo Presti V, Gebremedhin EZ. Two novel amino acid substitutions in highly conserved regions of prion protein (PrP) and a high frequency of a scrapie protective variant in native Ethiopian goats. BMC Vet Res 2019; 15:128. [PMID: 31053138 PMCID: PMC6500044 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-019-1870-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Polymorphisms of the prion protein gene may influence scrapie susceptibility in small ruminants through modified protein conformation. At least 47 amino acid substitutions and 19 silent polymorphisms have been described in goat PRNP reported from several countries. The objective of this study was to investigate PRNP polymorphisms of native Ethiopian goat breeds and compare the results with other goat breeds. RESULTS The analysis of the prion protein gene PRNP in 229 goats belonging to three of the main Ethiopian native goat breeds showed a remarkably high frequency (> 34.6%) of p.(Asn146Ser) in these breeds, a variant involved in scrapie resistance in Cyprus. In addition, two novel amino-acid substitutions p.(Gly127Ala) and p.(Thr193Ile), with frequencies ranging from 1.5 to 7.3% were detected. Both amino acids are well conserved in prion proteins (PrP) of most species and these changes have never been reported before in goats worldwide. Residue 127 is within the N-terminal domain of PrP and is probably involved in the recruitment of neural cell adhesion molecules (NCAM). Residue 193 is within the highly conserved string of 4 threonines that plays a role in determining the efficiency of prion protein conversion towards its pathological form. CONCLUSION Two novel coding polymorphisms and a high frequency of a scrapie protective variant indicate a high level of genetic diversity in PRNP of Ethiopian goats. This finding increases the interest in exploring PRNP polymorphisms of native goat breeds in areas where cross breeding with foreign goats has rarely occurred.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Vitale
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale of Sicily, Laboratory of Genetics of Microorganisms, Via Gino Marinuzzi 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy
| | - Sergio Migliore
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale of Sicily, Laboratory of Genetics of Microorganisms, Via Gino Marinuzzi 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy
| | - Berhanu Tilahun
- Department of Parasitology, Haramaya University, College of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 138, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia
| | - Mukarim Abdurahaman
- Jimma University, School of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 307, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Marco Tolone
- Dipartimento Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Ignazio Sammarco
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale of Sicily, Laboratory of Genetics of Microorganisms, Via Gino Marinuzzi 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Di Marco Lo Presti
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale of Sicily, Laboratory of Genetics of Microorganisms, Via Gino Marinuzzi 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy
| | - Endrias Zewdu Gebremedhin
- Department of Veterinary Science, Ambo University, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, P.O. Box 19, Ambo, Ethiopia
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Ricci A, Allende A, Bolton D, Chemaly M, Davies R, Fernández Escámez PS, Gironés R, Herman L, Koutsoumanis K, Lindqvist R, Nørrung B, Robertson L, Ru G, Sanaa M, Skandamis P, Speybroeck N, Simmons M, Kuile BT, Threlfall J, Wahlström H, Acutis PL, Andreoletti O, Goldmann W, Langeveld J, Windig JJ, Ortiz Pelaez A, Snary E. Genetic resistance to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) in goats. EFSA J 2017; 15:e04962. [PMID: 32625625 PMCID: PMC7010077 DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2017.4962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Breeding programmes to promote resistance to classical scrapie, similar to those for sheep in existing transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) regulations, have not been established in goats. The European Commission requested a scientific opinion from EFSA on the current knowledge of genetic resistance to TSE in goats. An evaluation tool, which considers both the weight of evidence and strength of resistance to classical scrapie of alleles in the goat PRNP gene, was developed and applied to nine selected alleles of interest. Using the tool, the quality and certainty of the field and experimental data are considered robust enough to conclude that the K222, D146 and S146 alleles both confer genetic resistance against classical scrapie strains known to occur naturally in the EU goat population, with which they have been challenged both experimentally and under field conditions. The weight of evidence for K222 is greater than that currently available for the D146 and S146 alleles and for the ARR allele in sheep in 2001. Breeding for resistance can be an effective tool for controlling classical scrapie in goats and it could be an option available to member states, both at herd and population levels. There is insufficient evidence to assess the impact of K222, D146 and S146 alleles on susceptibility to atypical scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or on health and production traits. These alleles are heterogeneously distributed across the EU Member States and goat breeds, but often at low frequencies (< 10%). Given these low frequencies, high selection pressure may have an adverse effect on genetic diversity so any breeding for resistance programmes should be developed at Member States, rather than EU level and their impact monitored, with particular attention to the potential for any negative impact in rare or small population breeds.
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Goats with aspartic acid or serine at codon 146 of the PRNP gene remain scrapie-negative after lifetime exposure in affected herds in Cyprus. Epidemiol Infect 2016; 145:326-328. [PMID: 27751198 DOI: 10.1017/s0950268816002272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The results of the study reported here are part of an ongoing integrated research programme aimed at producing additional, robust, evidence on the genetic resistance to classical scrapie in goats, with particular reference to codon 146. The study targeted animals aged ⩾6 years, which were born and raised in infected herds and were being culled for management reasons. A total of 556 animals were tested, and all positive animals (n = 117) were of the susceptible NN genotype. A total of 246 goats heterozygous or homozygous for putatively resistant alleles (S146 and D146) were screened with no positive results. The outcome of this study supports the hypothesis that the D146 and S146 alleles could be used as the basis for a nationwide strategy for breeding for resistance in the Cypriot goat population.
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Niedermeyer S, Eiden M, Toumazos P, Papasavva-Stylianou P, Ioannou I, Sklaviadis T, Panagiotidis C, Langeveld J, Bossers A, Kuczius T, Kaatz M, Groschup MH, Fast C. Genetic, histochemical and biochemical studies on goat TSE cases from Cyprus. Vet Res 2016; 47:99. [PMID: 27716411 PMCID: PMC5053211 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-016-0379-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2016] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) are transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE’s) affecting sheep and goats. Susceptibility of goats to scrapie is influenced by polymorphisms of the prion protein gene (PRNP) of the host. Five polymorphisms are associated with reduced susceptibility to TSE’s. In the study presented here caprine samples from a scrapie eradication program on Cyprus were genotyped and further characterized using BioRad TeSeE rapid test, histological, immunohistochemical and biochemical methods. In total 42 goats from 20 flocks were necropsied from which 25 goats showed a positive result in the rapid test, a spongiform encephalopathy and an accumulation of pathological prion protein (PrPSc) in the obex. PrPSc deposits were demonstrated in the placenta, peripheral nervous and lymphoreticular system. Two animals showed PrPSc-accumulations in peripheral tissues only. By discriminatory immunoblots a scrapie infection could be confirmed for all cases. Nevertheless, slight deviations in the glycosylation pattern might indicate the presence of different scrapie strains. Furthermore scrapie samples from goats in the current study demonstrated less long term resistance to proteinase K than ovine or caprine BSE control samples. Reduced scrapie susceptibility according to the PRNP genotype was demonstrated (Fishers Exact test, p < 0.05) for the goats with at least one polymorphism (p = 0.023) at the six codons examined and in particular for those with polymorphisms at codon 146 (p = 0.016). This work characterizes scrapie in goats having implications for breeding and surveillance strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Niedermeyer
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald-Isle of Riems, Germany
| | - Martin Eiden
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald-Isle of Riems, Germany
| | - Pavlos Toumazos
- Veterinary Services, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, 1417, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | | | - Ioannis Ioannou
- Veterinary Services, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, 1417, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Theodoros Sklaviadis
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Cynthia Panagiotidis
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Jan Langeveld
- Department of Infection Biology, Central Veterinary Institute of Wageningen UR, Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | - Alex Bossers
- Department of Infection Biology, Central Veterinary Institute of Wageningen UR, Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | - Thorsten Kuczius
- Institute for Hygiene, Westfälische Wilhelms-University and University Hospital Münster, Robert Koch-Strasse 41, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Martin Kaatz
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald-Isle of Riems, Germany
| | - Martin H Groschup
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald-Isle of Riems, Germany
| | - Christine Fast
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald-Isle of Riems, Germany.
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Windig JJ, Hoving RAH, Priem J, Bossers A, van Keulen LJM, Langeveld JPM. Variation in the prion protein sequence in Dutch goat breeds. J Anim Breed Genet 2016; 133:366-74. [PMID: 26991480 DOI: 10.1111/jbg.12211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Scrapie is a neurodegenerative disease occurring in goats and sheep. Several haplotypes of the prion protein increase resistance to scrapie infection and may be used in selective breeding to help eradicate scrapie. In this study, frequencies of the allelic variants of the PrP gene are determined for six goat breeds in the Netherlands. Overall frequencies in Dutch goats were determined from 768 brain tissue samples in 2005, 766 in 2008 and 300 in 2012, derived from random sampling for the national scrapie surveillance without knowledge of the breed. Breed specific frequencies were determined in the winter 2013/2014 by sampling 300 breeding animals from the main breeders of the different breeds. Detailed analysis of the scrapie-resistant K222 haplotype was carried out in 2014 for 220 Dutch Toggenburger goats and in 2015 for 942 goats from the Saanen derived White Goat breed. Nine haplotypes were identified in the Dutch breeds. Frequencies for non-wild type haplotypes were generally low. Exception was the K222 haplotype in the Dutch Toggenburger (29%) and the S146 haplotype in the Nubian and Boer breeds (respectively 7 and 31%). The frequency of the K222 haplotype in the Toggenburger was higher than for any other breed reported in literature, while for the White Goat breed it was with 3.1% similar to frequencies of other Saanen or Saanen derived breeds. Further evidence was found for the existence of two M142 haplotypes, M142 /S240 and M142 /P240 . Breeds vary in haplotype frequencies but frequencies of resistant genotypes are generally low and consequently selective breeding for scrapie resistance can only be slow but will benefit from animals identified in this study. The unexpectedly high frequency of the K222 haplotype in the Dutch Toggenburger underlines the need for conservation of rare breeds in order to conserve genetic diversity rare or absent in other breeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- J J Windig
- Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre, Wageningen UR Livestock Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - R A H Hoving
- Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre, Wageningen UR Livestock Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - J Priem
- Central Veterinary Institute part of Wageningen UR, Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | - A Bossers
- Central Veterinary Institute part of Wageningen UR, Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | - L J M van Keulen
- Central Veterinary Institute part of Wageningen UR, Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | - J P M Langeveld
- Central Veterinary Institute part of Wageningen UR, Lelystad, The Netherlands
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Allelic variants at codon 146 in the PRNP gene show significant differences in the risk for natural scrapie in Cypriot goats. Epidemiol Infect 2014; 143:1304-10. [PMID: 25140573 DOI: 10.1017/s0950268814002064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have shown the association between the polymorphisms serine (S) or aspartic acid (D) at codon 146 of the PRNP gene and resistance to scrapie. All goats aged >12 months (a total of 1075 animals) from four herds with the highest prevalence of scrapie in the country were culled and tested, of which 234 (21·7%) were positive by either the rapid test or immunohistochemistry (IHC) for any of the tissues tested. The odds of scrapie infection occurring in NN146 goats was 101 [95% credible interval (CrI) 19-2938] times higher than for non-NN146 or unknown genotypes. IHC applied to lymphoreticular tissue produced the highest sensitivity (94%, 95% CrI 90-97). The presence of putatively resistant non-NN146 alleles in the Cypriot goat population, severely affected by scrapie, provides a potential tool to reduce/eradicate scrapie provided that coordinated nationwide breeding programmes are implemented and maintained over time.
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