Prion Protein Genotypes in Pakistani Goats

Babar, M. E.; Nawaz, M.; Nasim, A.; Abdullah, M.; Imran, M.; Jabeen, R.; Chatha, S. A.; Haq, A. U.; Nawaz, A.; Mustafa, H.; Nadeem, A.

doi:2008.21.7.936

Article

Animal Breeding and Genetics

Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences 2008;21(7): 936-940.
https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.2008.70493 Published online July 1, 2008.

Prion Protein Genotypes in Pakistani Goats

M. E. Babar^*, M. Nawaz, A. Nasim, M. Abdullah, M. Imran, R. Jabeen, S. A. Chatha, A. U. Haq, A. Nawaz, H. Mustafa, A. Nadeem

Correspondence: M. E. Babar,

Abstract

The PCR-amplified prion protein (PrP) gene was sequenced to determine the frequency of scrapie-associated as well as novel PrP genotypes in 72 healthy goats representing five breeds. A total of six genotypes were detected, resulting from the three reported 143 (H/R), 154 (R/H) and 240 (S/P) and the two novel 39 (S/R) and 185 (I/F) amino acid polymorphisms. Of the four silent mutations 42 (ag), 138 (ct), 231 (ca) and 237 (gc) detected in this study, 237 (gc) is novel. A genotype (SIP/RFP) harboring three amino acid polymorphisms 39 (S/R), 185 (I/F) and 240 (S/P) was found in few goats. Although both scrapie-associated genotypes with 143 (H/R) and 154 (R/H) polymorphisms and others with 39 (S/R), 185 (I/F) and 240 (S/P) polymorphisms were present in the studied Pakistani goats, their frequency was lower than that of the wild-type genotype SHRIS/SHRIS (34.7%). These results emphasize the need for further sequencing of the PrP gene in a large number of goats representing the five studied breeds, so that overall PrP variability can be assessed in these breeds in research addressing future concerns about scrapie.

Keywords: Prion Protein Genotypes; Scrapie; Goats; Pakistan