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Short Communication: Allele, Genotype, and Haplotype Data for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy-Resistance Polymorphisms from Healthy US Holstein Cattle¹

B. W. Brunelle^*, M. E. Kehrli, Jr.^*, J. R. Stabel, D. Moody Spurlock, L. B. Hansen and E. M. Nicholson^*,2

^* Virus and Prion Diseases of Livestock Research Unit, and
Bacterial Diseases of Livestock Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Ames, IA 50010
Department of Animal Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames 50011
Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul 55108

² Corresponding author: eric.nicholson{at}ars.usda.gov

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a neurodegenerative disease of cattle caused by abnormally folded prion proteins. Two regulatory region polymorphisms in the bovine prion gene are associated with resistance to classical BSE disease: a 23-bp region in the promoter that contains a binding site for the repressor protein RP58, and a 12-bp region in intron 1 that has a binding site for the transcription factor SP1. The presence of these binding sites enhances BSE resistance in cattle, whereas cattle that lack these regions are more susceptible to the disease. The present study examined the allele, genotype, and haplotype frequencies for the 23-bp and 12-bp polymorphisms in Holstein cattle from 9 different US states, and these frequencies were compared with data previously established for Holstein cattle from the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan. Additionally, the coding region of the prion gene was sequenced from the US samples. Finally, archival samples from US Holstein sires born between 1953 and 1957 were analyzed. We found that the resistant allele and genotype frequencies for the US Holstein cattle were as high, or higher, relative to that observed in other countries. Furthermore, the current US frequencies were comparable to those determined in the archival samples from the 1950s. Based on the frequencies of these regulatory region polymorphisms, the US Holstein population is not at a greater risk for BSE than Holsteins worldwide.

Key Words: bovine spongiform encephalopathy • genetics • Holstein • prion