Bat study reports first PRNP SNPs, adds clue to prion resistance

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Researchers in South Korea have published what they describe as the first report of single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the prion protein gene, or PRNP, in bats. In a Frontiers in Veterinary Science study based on sequencing from 94 bat samples, the team identified five PRNP polymorphisms, including one non-synonymous variant, c.86A>G (K29R), and reported that in-silico modeling predicted the change is likely functionally neutral, with no major effect on protein structure or solubility. The authors say bats have not been reported to develop prion disease, and they frame the findings as a starting point for understanding whether PRNP genetics could help explain that apparent resistance. (frontiersin.org)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this is basic science rather than a practice-changing result, but it adds to a broader comparative genetics effort around prion susceptibility across species. PRNP variation is already a major part of risk assessment in other animals, including sheep and cervids, where certain genotypes are associated with altered susceptibility or slower disease progression, even if not complete resistance. That makes bat PRNP data potentially useful for wildlife disease biology, cross-species prion research, and future surveillance frameworks, especially as chronic wasting disease remains an ongoing concern in cervids. (veterinaryresearch.biomedcentral.com)

What to watch: The next step is whether follow-on studies in additional bat species, functional lab models, or prion-challenge systems can show whether these newly described variants have any real biologic effect beyond sequence-level observations. (frontiersin.org)