Authors: Jennifer M. Thomson, Victoria Bowles, Jung-Woo Choi, Urmila Basu, Yan Meng, Paul Stothard and Stephen Moore

Jennifer M. Thomson

Department of Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Science; University of Alberta; Edmonton, AB CA; Department of Animal and Range Sciences; Montana State University; Bozeman, MT USA

Victoria Bowles

Department of Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Science; University of Alberta; Edmonton, AB CA

Jung-Woo Choi

Department of Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Science; University of Alberta; Edmonton, AB CA

Urmila Basu

Department of Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Science; University of Alberta; Edmonton, AB CA

Yan Meng

Department of Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Science; University of Alberta; Edmonton, AB CA

Paul Stothard

Department of Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Science; University of Alberta; Edmonton, AB CA

Stephen Moore

Corresponding author: s.moore3@uq.edu.au
The University of Queensland; Centre for Animal Science; Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation; St. Lucia, QLD Australia

Abstract:
Classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy is a transmissible prion disease that is fatal to cattle and is a human health risk due to its association with a strain of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD). Mutations to the coding region of the prion gene (PRNP) have been associated with susceptibility to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in mammals including bovines and humans. Additional loci such as the retinoic acid receptor beta (RARB) and stathmin like 2 (STMN2) have also been associated with disease risk. The objective of this study was to refine previously identified regions associated with BSE susceptibility and to identify positional candidate genes and genetic variation that may be involved with the progression of classical BSE. The samples included 739 samples of either BSE infected animals (522 animals) or non-infected controls (207 animals). These were tested using a custom SNP array designed to narrow previously identified regions of importance in bovine genome. Thirty one single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified at p < 0.05 and a minor allele frequency greater than 5%. The chromosomal regions identified and the positional and functional candidate genes and regulatory elements identified within these regions warrant further research.

Received: June 8, 2012; Accepted: August 16, 2012; Published Online: August 23, 2012

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