Genetic variability of the coding region for the prion protein gene (PRNP) in gayal (Bos frontalis)

The gayal (Bos frontalis) is a rare semi-wild bovid species in which bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) has not been reported. Polymorphisms of the prion protein gene (PRNP) have been correlated significantly with resistance to BSE. In this study, the coding region of PRNP was cloned and characterized in samples from 125 gayal. A total of ten single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), including six silent mutations (C60T, G75A, A108T, G126A, C357T and C678T) and four mis-sense mutations (C8A, G145A, G461A and C756G), corresponding to amino acids T3K, G49S9, N154S and I252M were identified, revealing high genetic diversity. Three novel SNPs including C60T, G145A and C756G, which have not been reported previously in bovid species, were retrieved. There also was one insertion–deletion (187Del24) at the N-terminal octapeptide repeat region. Alignment of nucleotide and amino acid sequences showed a high degree of similarity with other bovid species. Using phylogenetic analyses it was revealed that gayal has a close genetic relationship with Zebu cattle. In short, preliminary information is provided about genotypes of the PRNP in gayal. This could assist with the study of the pathogenesis of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies and cross species transmission as well as a molecular breeding project for gayal in China.