Genome scan for the possibility of identifying candidate resistance genes for goat lentiviral infections in the Italian Garfagnina goat breed

Small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLVs) are a heterogeneous group of viruses of sheep, goat, and wild ruminants responsible of lifelong persistent infection leading to a multisystem chronic disease. Increased evidences indicate that host genetic factors could influence the individual SRLV resistance. The present study was conducted on the Garfagnina goat breed, an Italian goat population registered on the Tuscan regional repertory of genetic resources at risk of extinction. Forty-eight adult goats belonging to a single flock were studied. SRLV diagnosis was achieved by serological tests and 21 serologically positive animals were identified. All animals were genotyped with the Illumina GoatSNP60 BeadChip and a genome-wide scan was then performed on the individual marker genotypes, in an attempt to identify genomic regions associated with the infection. One SNP was found significant (P < 5 × 10−5) on CHR 18 at 62,360,918 bp. The SNP was an intron of the zinc finger protein 331 (ZNF331) protein. In the region 1 Mb upstream the significant SNP, the NLRP12 (NLR family pyrin domain containing 12), the PRKCG (protein kinase C gamma), and the CACNG7 (calcium voltage-gated channel auxiliary subunit gamma 7) were found.