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Intravitreal Injections in the Ovine Eye
Published on: July 5, 2022
Reduced lentivirus susceptibility in sheep with TMEM154 mutations
Michael P Heaton1, Michael L Clawson, Carol G Chitko-Mckown
1U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Agriculture Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Clay Center, Nebraska, USA. mike.heaton@ars.usda.gov
Plos Genetics
|February 1, 2012
Summary
Ovine progressive pneumonia (OPP) is linked to the TMEM154 gene in sheep. Specific TMEM154 genetic variations significantly increase infection risk, offering a potential strategy for disease eradication.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Veterinary Medicine
- Animal Science
Background:
- Visna/Maedi, or ovine progressive pneumonia (OPP), is a persistent lentivirus infection in sheep affecting multiple organ systems.
- Identifying genetic factors influencing susceptibility is crucial for managing and potentially eradicating OPP in flocks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify ovine genetic risk factors associated with lentivirus infection.
- To investigate the role of the TMEM154 gene in OPP susceptibility.
Main Methods:
- Genome-wide association study (GWAS) using 50,614 markers on 69 matched pairs of infected and uninfected sheep.
- Sanger sequencing of the ovine TMEM154 gene to identify mutations.
- Case-control studies analyzing TMEM154 haplotypes and their association with infection risk across multiple cohorts.
Main Results:
- A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the ovine TMEM154 gene exceeded genome-wide significance for association with OPP infection.
- Two TMEM154 haplotypes encoding glutamate (E) at position 35 were associated with increased infection risk, while a lysine (K) haplotype was not.
- Sheep with one copy of a full-length TMEM154 E35 allele had a 28-fold increased odds of infection; relative risk was 2.85 across combined cohorts.
Conclusions:
- The TMEM154 gene plays a significant role in ovine lentivirus susceptibility.
- Genotyping sheep for TMEM154 variants can identify high-risk individuals.
- Selective removal of sheep with susceptible TMEM154 genotypes may aid in OPP eradication and flock protection.
