Investigation of the association of the SLC11A1 gene with resistance/sensitivity of goats (Capra hircus) to paratuberculosis.

SLC11A1 (solute carrier family 11 member A1) protein is located on the phagolysosome membrane of macrophages and participates in bacterial killing. Here we have extended our previous work on the investigation of the potential association of polymorphisms of the 3'untranslated region (UTR) of SLC11A1 gene with test-positivity of goats to Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP). Blood, serum and faeces were collected from 223 adult goats, from nine goat farms from Greece with a long-term record of paratuberculosis but no vaccination or tuberculin testing. The samples were subjected to sequence and structure analysis of the SLC11A1 gene and were evaluated by ELISA, culture and real time polymerase chain reaction. The 3'UTR region of the targeted gene revealed 2 microsatellites consisting of a variable number of guanine-thymine repeats named regions A and B. Statistically significant association was recorded between genotypes of region B and ELISA results, whereas the presence of B(7) allele was found to contribute to ELISA negativity. The comparison of the SLC11A1 mRNA level pre- and post-exposure to MAP shows elevated gene expression especially at the 3-h time point, in all macrophages tested regardless of their genotype. Unfortunately the latter could not be linked at a statistically significant level with any of the targeted genetic polymorphisms separately. In conclusion it can be stated that the evidence reported here provide the first indications on the association of B genotypes of the SLC11A1 gene and the detection of MAP-specific antibody by ELISA in goats. Copyright 2010. Published by Elsevier B.V.