Detection of single-nucleotide polymorphisms coding for three ovine prion protein variants by primer extension assay and capillary electrophoresis.

An alternative method is described for the determination of ovine prion protein allelic variants at codon 136, 154, and 171. The four mutations responsible for amino acid changes are typed simultaneously. The technique utilizes dideoxy chain termination reaction using fluorescently labeled dideoxy nucleotides. The single-base extended primers are resolved on a capillary electrophoresis instrument. Data obtained by our approach are presented according to genotype distribution in some breeds as a part of the validation procedure.