Polymorphism of prion protein gene (PRNP) in Nigerian sheep

Adeniyi C Adeola; Semiu F Bello; Abdussamad M Abdussamad; Akanbi I Mark; Oscar J Sanke; Anyebe B Onoja; Lotanna M Nneji; Nasiru Abdullahi; Sunday C Olaogun; Lawal D Rogo; Godwin F Mangbon; Shamsudeen L Pedro; Manasseh P Hiinan; Muhammad M Mukhtar; Jebi Ibrahim; Hayatu Saidu; Philip M Dawuda; Rukayya K Bala; Hadiza L Abdullahi; Adebowale E Salako; Samia Kdidi; Mohamed Habib Yahyaoui; Ting-Ting Yin

doi:10.1080/19336896.2023.2186767

Polymorphism of prion protein gene (PRNP) in Nigerian sheep

Prion. 2023 Dec;17(1):44-54. doi: 10.1080/19336896.2023.2186767.

Authors

Adeniyi C Adeola^{1

2

3}, Semiu F Bello⁴, Abdussamad M Abdussamad^{3

5}, Akanbi I Mark⁶, Oscar J Sanke⁷, Anyebe B Onoja⁸, Lotanna M Nneji⁹, Nasiru Abdullahi¹⁰, Sunday C Olaogun¹¹, Lawal D Rogo¹², Godwin F Mangbon¹³, Shamsudeen L Pedro³, Manasseh P Hiinan¹⁴, Muhammad M Mukhtar¹⁰, Jebi Ibrahim¹⁵, Hayatu Saidu¹², Philip M Dawuda¹⁶, Rukayya K Bala³, Hadiza L Abdullahi⁵, Adebowale E Salako¹⁷, Samia Kdidi¹⁸, Mohamed Habib Yahyaoui¹⁸, Ting-Ting Yin¹

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.
² Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.
³ Centre for Biotechnology Research, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria.
⁴ Department of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
⁵ Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria.
⁶ Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Secretariat, Ibadan, Nigeria.
⁷ Taraba State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Jalingo, Nigeria.
⁸ Department of Virology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
⁹ Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
¹⁰ Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria.
¹¹ Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
¹² Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria.
¹³ Division of Veterinary Office, Serti, Nigeria.
¹⁴ Small Ruminant Section, Solomon Kesinton Agro-Allied Limited Iperu-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria.
¹⁵ Department of Veterinary Surgery and Theriogenology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agriculture Makurdi, Makurdi, Nigeria.
¹⁶ Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, National University of Lesotho, Lesotho, Southern Africa.
¹⁷ Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
¹⁸ Livestock and Wildlife Laboratory, Institut des Régions Arides, Université de Gabes, Medenine, Tunisia.

Abstract

Polymorphism of the prion protein gene (PRNP) gene determines an animal's susceptibility to scrapie. Three polymorphisms at codons 136, 154, and 171 have been linked to classical scrapie susceptibility, although many variants of PRNP have been reported. However, no study has investigated scrapie susceptibility in Nigerian sheep from the drier agro-climate zones. In this study, we aimed to identify PRNP polymorphism in nucleotide sequences of 126 Nigerian sheep by comparing them with public available studies on scrapie-affected sheep. Further, we deployed Polyphen-2, PROVEAN, and AMYCO analyses to determine the structure changes produced by the non-synonymous SNPs. Nineteen (19) SNPs were found in Nigerian sheep with 14 being non-synonymous. Interestingly, one novel SNP (T718C) was identified. There was a significant difference (P < 0.05) in the allele frequencies of PRNP codon 154 between sheep in Italy and Nigeria. Based on the prediction by Polyphen-2, R154H was probably damaging while H171Q was benign. Contrarily, all SNPs were neutral via PROVEAN analysis while two haplotypes (HYKK and HDKK) had similar amyloid propensity of PRNP with resistance haplotype in Nigerian sheep. Our study provides valuable information that could be possibly adopted in programs targeted at breeding for scrapie resistance in sheep from tropical regions.

Keywords: Nigeria; polymorphism; prion protein gene; scrapie; sheep; susceptibility.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Gene Frequency
Genetic Predisposition to Disease
Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / genetics
Prion Proteins* / genetics
Scrapie* / genetics
Sheep* / genetics

Substances

Prion Proteins

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences (SAJC202103), and the Animal Branch of the Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Chinese Academy of Sciences (the Large Research Infrastructure Funding). Also, the Chinese Academy of Sciences President’s International Fellowship Initiative (CAS-PIFI) provided grant support to A.C.A. (2021FYB0006).