Genotyping of polymorphisms in the prion protein gene in sheeps raised in the State of São Paulo by q-PCR

• Grant number: 13/05489-8
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: August 01, 2013
• End date: July 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Pathology
• Principal Investigator: Caio Rodrigues dos Santos
• Grantee: Caio Rodrigues dos Santos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Paulo César Maiorka

Abstract

Scrapie is the oldest transmissible subacute encephalopathy which has been described in the literature, having been already described in the 18th century. This is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that occurs in sheep and goats. The disease is influenced by polymorphisms in the prion protein gene, and animals can be categorized as susceptible (s) or resistant (r), according to the sequences found in the gene encoding this protein in sheep. The study of polymorphisms of the prion protein gene in sheep is an example of progress in the development of Scrapie molecular compression, having been performed in several countries, with the aim of selecting and breeding for disease resistance. In Brazil there were only cases of animals that were imported and the country is considered free of the disease. However, studies on the susceptibility profile of the disease are needed, and can greatly assist the development of animal breeding and selection, aiming at the development of disease resistance. Techniques such as polymerase chain reaction and conventional genomic sequencing have been described as tools for genotyping these polymorphisms. Blood samples will be collected from 250 sheep of different breeds in properties located in the State of São Paulo, which will be performed extractions of genetic material for subsequent genotyping of polymorphisms by the method of real time polymerase chain reaction. (AU)