Prion Protein Gene (PRNP) Variation in European Red Deer Cervus elaphus from Russia as a Potential Marker of Resistance to Chronic Wasting Disease in Cervids

Abstract Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal prion disease affecting members of the Cervidae family. Polymorphism of the PRNP gene, which encodes the prion protein, is directly associated with susceptibility to this disease. Data on the variability of the open reading frame of the PRNP gene were obtained from 51 European red deer individuals from Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. Four alleles were identified, two of which have not been reported in other red deer populations. Four single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected at positions 63 (C/T), 312 (G/A), 408 (T/C), and 676 (C/G). The SNP at position 676 results in an amino acid substitution from glutamine to glutamic acid at position 226 (Q226/E226), which influences disease pathogenesis and host susceptibility to different CWD strains. The frequency of the 226QE genotype (C676/G676) was 31.37%, the frequency of the 226QQ genotype (C676/C676) was 21.57%, and the frequency of the 226EE genotype (G676/G676) was 47.06%. Reference to limited experimental data and comparison of PRNP sequences from North American wapiti affected by CWD suggest a potential susceptibility of European red deer from Russia to CWD.