Hunter N, Goldmann W, Smith G, Hope J
Institute for Animal Health, BBSRC/MRC Neuropathogenesis Unit, Edinburgh, U.K.
Arch Virol. 1994;137(1-2):171-7. doi: 10.1007/BF01311184.
Incidence of both experimental and natural scrapie in sheep has been associated with polymorphisms of the PrP gene. In case/control studies the PrP allele which encodes valine at codon 136 (Val136) is found in 96-100% of naturally infected scrapie sheep of Shetland, Scottish Halfbred and Blue du Maine breeds. In contrast, in healthy animals from the same flocks, the most frequent allele encodes Ala136 (91-100% of sheep). However Val136 does not correlate with incidence of scrapie in two other flocks--Poll Dorsets and Suffolks--and there may therefore be breed differences in PrP genotypes affected by scrapie.
