Canadian Component of the PRRS Host Genetics Consortium

This project will investigate the impact of host genetics on Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS). This will provide a model for genomic improvements in health, allowing the industry to begin to select for animals that are less susceptible to PRRS virus and will potentially also provide better diagnostics, biotherapeutics and vaccines to manage the disease more successfully.

Date of Submission:	July 14, 2010
Total Budget:	$2,178,037
Total Amount Requested from Genome Alberta/ALMA (less than $500k):	$500,000
Project Duration:	3 years

Project Leader(s)	Stephen Moore Livestock Gentec, University of Alberta 1400 College Plaza 8215 -112 St Edmonton AB T6H 2C8	Bob Kemp PigGen Canada Inc. 1-503 Imperial Rd North Guelph, ON N1H 6T9
Co-Applicant(s)	Name	Affiliation
	Graham Plastow	Livestock Gentec, University of Alberta
	Leluo Guan	Livestock Gentec, University of Alberta
	Paul Stothard	Livestock Gentec, University of Alberta
	J.P. Steibel	Michigan State University
	Jack Dekkers	Iowa State University
	James Reecy	Iowa State University

Project Summary
Traditional genetic approaches have been effectively used by the swine industry to enhance traits such as meat production, leanness, and reproductive traits. For example, the yield of lean meat per kg of feed has more than doubled in the last 50 years. However, little progress has been made on improving animal health by selective breeding for several reasons.
Disease continues to be one of the biggest costs associated with pig production, as well as having impacts on animal welfare, animal and meat trade and in some case food safety. Susceptibility to specific pathogens has been shown to have a significant genetic component. Genomics offers the potential to identify new tools that can be used to improve swine health, well-being and disease-resistance traits.

This project will further the investigation of the impact of host genetics onPorcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) providing a model for genomic improvements in health. PRRS is one of the most important diseases of pigs according to the Canadian Swine Health Board (CSHB).
Losses from PRRS cost the Canadian industry approximately $100 million per annum. The seriousness of this disease was also demonstrated in 2005, as the American Association of Swine Veterinarians formed the North American PRRS Eradication Task Force with member veterinarians from the United States, Canada and Mexico to develop and guide an eradication process. Furthermore PRRS is the most economically important swine viral pathogen worldwide.
The project will apply a number of high throughput technologies including high density SNP genotyping, next-generation sequence analysis of gene expression and proteomic analysis of immune response after PRRS virus challenge. Additionally genomic selection tools will be developed. The results will be used by industry to begin to select for animals that are less susceptible to PRRS virus and will potentially also provide better diagnostics, biotherapeutics and vaccines to manage the disease more successfully.

This project will build a Canadian component to the existing international PRRS Host Genetics Consortium project thereby adding significant value to the Canadian industry and providing a significant leverage of Canadian funding.