Thomas A†, Palm M†, Linden A†, Desmecht D†
† Department
of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Sart
Tilman B43, 4000 Liège, Belgium
Some MX proteins are known to confer an innate resistance against Influenza A viruses. In laboratory mouse strains, allelic polymorphisms at the Mx1 locus affect the probability of survival after experimental influenzal disease. This raises the possibility that identification of an antiviral MX isoform in pigs might allow selection programmes aimed at improving their innate resistance. An 11-bp deletion was described in Japanese porcine populations, resulting in a frame-shift in the exon 14 of the Mx1 gene. On the basis of the deduced amino acid sequence, this allele must yield a significantly different MX protein compared to that generated by the nondeleted allele. The present study aimed at investigating the distribution of the intact and deleted alleles among European wild boar, Landrace (from Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain and Finland) and Pietrain (from Belgium and France) pig populations. The deletion allele was found at a relatively high frequency in the Landrace breed, in roughly one fourth of the Pietrain population sampled, but never in wild boars. The absence of the “deleted” allele in wild pigs compared to its wide distribution in domestic pigs provides a basis to investigate the relationship between the Mx1 genotype and susceptibility to influenza viruses in the porcine population.
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