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Research Article

Polymorphism of the prion protein gene in meat and wool-meat sheep breeds in Poland

Roman Niżnikowski, Grzegorz Czub, Marcin Świątek, Magdalena Ślęzak, Krzysztof Głowacz

¹Department of Animal Breeding and Production, Division of Sheep and Goat Breeding, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Ciszewskiego 8, 02-786 Warszawa, Poland

²Department of Animal Environment Biology, Division of Animal Hygiene and Welfare, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Ciszewskiego 8, 02-786 Warszawa, Poland

1. Acta Sci. Pol. Zootechnica, 15(3), 2016, 3‒14
2. DOI: 10.21005/asp.2016.15.3.01

Abstract. The study was conducted in 2009–2013 on a total of 1587 (1230 females and 357 males) sheep of meat breeds (Berrichone du cher, Suffolk and Charolaise) and wool-meat breeds (Polish Merino, old type Polish Merino, Corriedale and Żelaźnieńska sheep) at age two to 11 years. Highly significant (P ≤ 0.01) effect of breed on the frequency of scrapie alleles and genotypes, and significant effect (P ≤ 0.05) of sex in the case of old type Polish Merino, were found. Most alleles (ALRR, ALRQ, ALHQ, ALRQ, AFRQ, VLRR, VLRQ) were found in Polish Merino and only two (ALRR and ALRQ) in Suffolk. Amino acid phenylalanine encoded at codon 141 occurred only in combination with AFRQ allele, while leucine in the other six. Seventeen scrapie genotypes were identified, most in Polish Merino and Corriedale (12 each), Żelaźnieńska sheep and Berrichon du cher (5 each), Charolaise (3) and Suffolk (2). Very high frequency of ALRR/ALRR in Suffolk and Berrichon du cher reveals their high genetic resistance to both forms of scrapie. Low frequencies of genotypes susceptible to classical scrapie were found in Charolaise and genotypes suspected to genetic lack of resistance to atypical scrapie in Żelaźnieńska sheep. Many signs of genetic susceptibility to both forms of scrapie were found in Merino and Corriedale, which requires new appropriate breeding programs leading to elimination those conditions from sheep population, especially in old type Polish Merino.

Keywords: sheep, PrP, distribution of alleles and genotypes