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A survey of scrapie PrP genotype results and their relationship with coat colour and hornedness in selected UK rare breed sheep

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 November 2017

L. Bell ,
T. Goodman ,
J. H. Martin ,
M. Rosbotham  and
C. Stockwell
L. Bell
Affiliation:
Myerscough College, Bilsborrow, Preston, Lancashire, PR3 0RY
T. Goodman*
Affiliation:
Myerscough College, Bilsborrow, Preston, Lancashire, PR3 0RY
J. H. Martin
Affiliation:
Myerscough College, Bilsborrow, Preston, Lancashire, PR3 0RY
M. Rosbotham
Affiliation:
Myerscough College, Bilsborrow, Preston, Lancashire, PR3 0RY
C. Stockwell
Affiliation:
Myerscough College, Bilsborrow, Preston, Lancashire, PR3 0RY
*
Email: tgoodman@myerscough.ac.uk
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Extract

Scrapie is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) and belongs to a category of incurable diseases that include BSE in cattle. An association exists between the Prion-Protein (PrP) genotype of an animal and the risk of developing disease after exposure (Tongue et al., 2004). This PrP genetic information is the basis of the National Scrapie Plan (NSP) which aims, through genotyping, to eradicate those individuals which have the susceptible alleles. Studies into scrapie risk (Jeffrey et al., 2002) have highlighted several alleles which confer scrapie susceptibility. The NSP have used these alleles to categorise individuals according to risk with group one being most scrapie resistant to group five being least resistant. VRQ alleles are synonymous with infection however the ARQ affords susceptibility but not the disease itself. Genotype may however not be the sole indicator of scrapie risk. There is an inference of a relationship between phenotypic characteristics (hornedness, coat colour) and scrapie risk. These alternative indicators of scrapie risk may affect the final choice of susceptible individuals. Scrapie risk studies carried out on the Shetland Isles (Jeffrey et al., 2002) investigated the alleles concerned with scrapie infection. Results confirmed that VRQ alleles are synonymous with scrapie infection however the ARQ alleles, even though they afford susceptibility, do not necessarily confer disease, the animal still has to be exposed to the scrapie agent. Using survey-type questionnaires, the study investigated any potential relationship between the PrP gene, coat colour and hornedness.

Type
Poster Presentations
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science , Volume 2005 , 2005 , pp. 124
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 2005

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References

Jeffrey, M., Begara-McGorum, I., Clark, S., Martin, S., Clark, J., Chaplin, M and Gonzalez, L. (2002) Occurrence and distribution of Infection-specific PrP in Tissues of Clinical Scrapie Cases and Cull Sheep from Scrapie-affected Farms in Shetland. Journal Comparative Pathology 127, 264–273 Google Scholar
Tongue, S. C., Wilesmith, J. W and Cook, C. J. (2004) Frequencies of prion protein (PrP) genotypes and distribution of ages in 15 scrapie-affected flocks in Great Britain. Veterinary Record. 154, 9–16 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed