Prevalence of the prion protein gene E211K variant in U.S. cattle
Author Information
Author(s): Michael P. Heaton, John W. Keele, Gregory P. Harhay, Jürgen A. Richt, Mohammad Koohmaraie, Tommy L. Wheeler, Steven D. Shackelford, Eduardo Casas, Andy D. King, Tad S. Sonstegard, Curtis P. Van Tassell, Holly L. Neibergs, Chad C. Chase Jr, Theodore S. Kalbfleisch, Timothy P. L. Smith, Michael L. Clawson, William W. Laegreid
Primary Institution: USDA, ARS, U. S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC)
Hypothesis
What is the prevalence of the Prnp E211K variant in U.S. cattle?
Conclusion
No groups or breeds of U.S. cattle are presently known to harbor the Prnp K211 allele.
Supporting Evidence
- The K211 allele was not detected in 6062 cattle.
- The study included cattle from five commercial beef processing plants and 2170 registered cattle from 42 breeds.
- The upper bounds for prevalence of the E211K variant was estimated to be extremely low.
Takeaway
Scientists looked at a lot of cattle to see if a specific gene variant linked to a disease was present, but they didn't find any.
Methodology
A high-throughput matrix-associated laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry assay was used to score the Prnp E211K variant.
Potential Biases
The sampling strategy was biased towards Bos indicus germplasm due to the nature of the Alabama BSE case.
Limitations
The study may not account for all possible cattle populations, as it focused on specific breeds and processing plants.
Participant Demographics
Cattle from five commercial beef processing plants and 2170 registered cattle from 42 breeds were included.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.05
Confidence Interval
less than 1 in 2000
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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