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

• Author / Creator

  Matsumoto, Tomomi

• Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal transmissible spongiform encephalopathy affecting North American cervids. I assessed the feasibility of association mapping for CWD genetic risk factors in wild white-tailed deer and mule deer using a high density microsatellite map of cattle. I chose a panel of 215 bovine microsatellite markers from three homologous deer linkage groups predicted to contain candidate genes for CWD. These markers had a low cross-species amplification rate (28 %) and showed weak linkage disequilibrium (< 1 cM). Markers near the prion protein gene (PRNP) and the neurofibromin 1 gene (NF1) were significantly associated with CWD status. Association of CWD with PRNP has been previously documented; however, this is the first time an association between the NF1 region and CWD has been reported. More accurate and powerful association mapping in these populations in the future will require much denser marker sets such as genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism panels.

• Graduation date

  Fall 2011

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3DQ0T

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.