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Association mapping of genetic risk factors for chronic wasting disease in wild deer

Tomomi Matsumoto·Michael D. Samuel·Trent Bollinger·Margo Pybus·David W. Coltman
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Abstract

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal transmissible spongiform encephalopathy affecting North American cervids. We assessed the feasibility of association mapping CWD genetic risk factors in wild white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) and mule deer ( Odocoileus hemionus ) using a panel of bovine microsatellite markers from three homologous deer linkage groups predicted to contain candidate genes. These markers had a low cross-species amplification rate (27.9%) and showed weak linkage disequilibrium (<1 cM). Markers near the prion protein and the neurofibromin 1 ( NF1 ) genes were suggestively associated with CWD status in white-tailed deer ( P = 0.006) and mule deer ( P = 0.02), respectively. This is the first time an association between the NF1 region and CWD has been reported.

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Tomomi Matsumoto, Michael D. Samuel, Trent Bollinger, Margo Pybus, David W. Coltman. 2012-08-30. Association mapping of genetic risk factors for chronic wasting disease in wild deer. https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.12003

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