Rapid Detection of BF Haplotypes by a Semi‐nested Polymerase Chain Reaction, which Causes Resistance/Susceptibility to Marek’s Disease in Chicken

Abstract

A semi‐nested polymerase chain reaction (snPCR) assay was developed for the rapid detection of resistant/susceptible BF haplotypes to Marek’s disease (MD) using the cDNA samples from peripheral blood leucocytes, liver, spleen and heart from Xiayan homozygous chickens: A11, C23, D8 and D12 (resistant to MD), A5 and B21 (susceptible to MD). The snPCR was utilized to span alternative splicing‐out of the sequence encoding the second segment of the cytoplasmic part of the mature BF molecules (exon 7). This alternative exon 7 splice variant was detected in BF*A5 and BF*B21 (susceptible to MD), but not in the MD‐resistant BF*A11, BF*C23, BF*D8 and BF*D12 haplotypes, suggesting a potential role of exon 7 for the detection of resistant/susceptible BF haplotypes to MD.

Studies on the association ofBF1/BF2 gene expression patterns with traits of genetic resistance to Marek's disease in chickens

“…Chicks were obtained from an MD-resistant line and a common line of Xiayan chickens (Jin et al, 2010;Jin, Wei, Wei, Zhao, & Li, 2010a;Jin, Wei, Wei, Zhao, & Li, 2010b;Li et al, 1996) that were reared under disease-free conditions (filtered air and positive pressure isolation room). At seven days of age, six chicks from the MDresistant line were randomly divided into three 'infected' and three 'control', respectively, while six chicks from the common line were randomly divided into three 'infected' and three 'control', respectively.…”

The Relationship Between the Alternative exon 7 Splice Variant of the BF Gene and MHC‐Related Marek's Disease Resistance in Chickens

“…A seminested PCR (snPCR) assay that had been established by our laboratory was used to detect whether or not the breeder cocks of Xiayan chickens have the alternative splicing‐out of the exon 7 of the BF gene from cDNA in PBLs. The detailed steps of total RNA isolation and reverse transcription (RT) for cDNA were described in a previous article , and then, two experimental groups were made: Group K, 91 chickens of offspring through the cross‐breeding of the three selected cocks which have no alternative splicing‐out of the exon 7 of the BF gene with the 15 non‐selected hens; and Group Y, 92 chickens of offspring through the cross‐breeding of the three selected cocks which have alternative splicing‐out of the exon 7 of the BF gene with the 15 non‐selected hens. The procedures of the animal experiment were approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee of Guangxi University.…”

The Relationship Between the Three‐Dimensional (3D) Structures of BF Molecules and MHC‐Related Marek's Disease Resistance in Chickens

“…The larger central cavity in groove confers substantial conformational flexibility to the crucial residue Arg9, which allows remodelling of key peptide-binding sites and allows peptides with conspicuously different sequences to be bound. This might explain that the exon 7-deprived variant of the BF was detected in MD-susceptible haplotypes, but not in MD-resistant haplotypes [1][2][3].…”