British plan to combat ovine disease

2002/09/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Abeltzaintza

In Britain a project has been launched to select sheep resistant to scrapie disease. According to scientists, the key is in a gene that controls how to fold proteins. It seems that brain disease is caused by poorly folded prions, being one of the 15 types of the gene that controls this folding that gives resistance to scrapie. To select goats with this variant of the gene, the blood of ten thousand sheep per week is tested. Later, the sheep are covered with these rams, so they intend to make the British flocks more resistant.

The project is part of a more general plan to support farmers. In fact, genetic testing is also being used to achieve other characteristics that ranchers seek in livestock, such as pigs with tender meat or fertile hens.