Variability of the prion protein gene (PRNP) in Algerian dromedary populations

Prion diseases are a group of animal and human neurodegenerative, albeit transmissible diseases. The lack of effective preventive and therapeutic approaches represents a serious problem in their management. This is especially true for those prion diseases of animals which behave like infectious and contagious diseases. In the case of sheep scrapie, the well- known role of variations in the prion protein gene (PRNP) in conferring resistance/susceptibility represents an opportunity which has been exploited to select populations genetically resistant to the disease.

The recent description of Camel prion disease (CPrD) in Algeria and Tunisia and the suspicion falling into the category of infectious prion diseases, make urgent to investigate the possible existence of genetic determinants useful for its control.

Herein, we investigated PRNP variability in 232 animals from six dromedary populations (Azawad, Hybrid, Naili, Rguibi, Sahraoui, Targui) in Algeria. A Gly69Ser mutation was observed in a single animal of the Targui population and a Gly134Glu polymorphism in the Azawad, Hybrid and Rguibi populations, with a frequency of the 134Glu allele of 2.6%, 7.7% and 7.1%, respectively.

Although our work highlights a low variability of Algerian dromedary PRNP, as a possible indication of a recent evolutionary history of CPrD, it offers also evidence of PRNP variants whose role in prion disease resistance/susceptibility deserve to be deepened.