A survey of bovine leukemia virus resistant bovine leukocyte antigen (BoLA)-DRB3009:02 allele-carrying Japanese Black cattle in two prefectures in Japan

• Published in: Journal of Veterinary Medical Science Vol. 84; no. 11; pp. 1457 - 1460
• Main Authors: NOTSU, Kosuke, INOUE, Yoshinobu, MASUDA, Tsuneyuki, INOUE, Masahiro, MITOMA, Shuya, WU, Xinyue, NORIMINE, Junzo, SEKIGUCHI, Satoshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo JAPANESE SOCIETY OF VETERINARY SCIENCE 01.11.2022; Japan Science and Technology Agency; The Japanese Society of Veterinary Science
• Subjects: Alleles; bovine leukemia virus; bovine leukocyte antigen (BoLA)-DRB3009:02; Bovine leukosis; breeding; Epidemiology; regional survey; Surveys
• ISSN: 0916-7250; 1347-7439
• DOI: 10.1292/jvms.22-0285

The bovine leukocyte antigen (BoLA) DRB3*009:02 allele is strongly associated with a low/undetectable bovine leukemia virus (BLV) proviral load. Understanding the status of cattle possessing DRB3*009:02 allele is key for BLV control by breeding. We performed a survey of DRB3*009:02-carrying cattle in two prefectures in Japan using a TaqMan assay developed previously. The allele was found in 3.8% (confidence interval (CI): 3.3–4.3) of 6020 Japanese Black female cattle. A prefecture-level difference was found: the allele was observed in 8.6% CI: 7.5–9.9) of 2242 cattle of the birth prefecture B in Kyushu/Okinawa region, and this percentage was significantly higher than those of prefecture C in Kyushu/Okinawa region (1.3% (CI: 0.4–3.4) of 319) and prefecture A in Chugoku region (0.9% (CI: 0.6–1.4) of 2741), respectively. Consideration on the difference in possession of DRB3*009:02 allele is needed to establish the more efficient control strategy of BLV infection in Japanese Black cattle.