Project description:Two groups of serologically confirmed ADV infected mink were used to analyze the association of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms with Aleutian disease (AD) resistance. Group I (n=97) was comprised of disease susceptible (ADS) animals, with disease related hyper-gammaglobulinemia confirmed by the lowered albumin: IgG ratio (A: IgG); and Group II (n=97) contained disease resistant (ADR) animals with normal A: IgG ratio. The phenotypic assignment into the groups was done according to previously validated MALDI-TOF A: IgG ratio of high reproducibility in ADV infected animals. Illumina Hiseq 2500 sequencing was used to produce sequence libraries which were biocomputationally analyzed the genome wide spread SNPs where then associated with the disease susceptible and resistant groups of animals. There was a clear over-dominance for the GATOR complex protein NPRL3 isoform X6, with a very strong effect on the differences between the animals of ADS and the ADR groups. A minor effect was observed around the HLA complex, however scattered over more genes in this area. The Protocadherin Fat 3 (FAT3) or it neighborhood could also be regarded as a candidate aerea influencing the outcome of the infection. In the absence of vaccination, and in the light of eradication failures, the results provide the foundation for the development of genomic tests, as the basis for assisted breeding for disease resistance. Additionally, the results could be useful in investigations of genetic basis of the resistance of animal infections of major economic importance, e.g. African swine fever (ASF).
