Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Dec;15(1):183-190.
doi: 10.1080/19336896.2021.1990628.

Prion protein polymorphisms in Michigan white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Caitlin N Ott-Conn  1 , Julie A Blanchong  2 , Wes A Larson  3
Affiliations

Prion protein polymorphisms in Michigan white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Caitlin N Ott-Conn et al. Prion. 2021 Dec.

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.

Keywords: Cervid; Michigan; Odocoileus virginianus; PRNP; chronic-wasting disease; prion; prion protein gene; transmissible spongiform encephalopathy; white-tailed deer.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Distribution of sampled (a) chronic wasting disease (CWD) positive, (b) CWD non-detected, and (c) CWD non-detected paired control free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from 9 CWD-positive Michigan counties
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Proportion of PRNP amino acid 96 genotypes of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from 9 CWD-positive Michigan counties
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Williams ES. Chronic wasting disease. Vet Pathol. 2005;42:530–549. - PubMed
    1. Williams ES, Young S. Chronic wasting disease of captive mule deer: a spongiform encephalopathy. J Wildl Dis. 1980;16:89–98. - PubMed
    1. Williams ES, Young S. Spongiform encephalopathies in Cervidae. Rev Sci Tech. 1992;11:551–567. - PubMed
    1. Sohn HJ, Kim JH, Choi KS, et al. A case of chronic wasting disease in an elk imported to Korea from Canada. J Vet Med Sci. 2002;64:855–858. - PubMed
    1. Kim TY, Shon HJ, Joo YS, et al. Additional cases of chronic wasting disease in imported deer in Korea. J Vet Med Sci. 2005;67:753–759. - PubMed

Publication types

Supplementary concepts