Gene expression profiling on sheep brain reveals differential transcripts in scrapie-affected/not-affected animals

This study aimed at identifying genes that could mark scrapie infection in the central nervous system of sheep. We used the subtractive suppressive hybridization (SSH) technique on brain samples from sheep healthy or clinically affected by scrapie. Following subtraction, several discrete differential bands appeared between the two reciprocally subtracted samples. These bands were cloned and sequenced, allowing identifying the genes COX1, CHN1, PPP2CA, LRFN5, CAMK2A and RABEPK. Two of the genes identified, CHN1 and RABEPK, appear to locate inside a QTL region known to modulate prion disease incubation time in mice, and LRFN5 maps inside a QTL region identified in sheep. Furthermore, CHN1 and RABEKP showed new unreported differential splicing.