Identification and futuristic role of novel polymorphism of caprine PrP gene

The Caprine Prion Protein (PrP) gene polymorphism in three different native Indian goat populations of Southern Odisha, namely Ganjam (a registered breed of India), Ghumusari and Raighar was studied. The 876 bp amplified segment of PrP gene contains full length coding sequence of 771 bp. In Ganjam and Ghumusari goats, any difference of nucleotide sequence was not identified. However, the comparison of nucleotide sequences of Raighar goats and goats of other locality revealed a change in nucleotide at five different positions (G190A, G724A, A727T, C775G and C800T) which includes two non-synonymous nucleotide changes. The non-synonymous nucleotide change resulted a change in amino acid at two different positions (Ser234Cys and Lys246Phe) in mature polypeptide which were not reported earlier and therefore, considered as novel. On the basis of these variants of PrP gene phylogenetic tree was constructed which showed that Ganjam and Raighar goats appeared in different clade. Since any occurrence of Scrapie infection in goats of Odisha was not reported, it can be proposed that these changes in amino acid may be responsible as resistance allele.