Exosomal micro RNA isolation in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) for diagnostic biomarker discovery

Journal of Wildlife Diseases
By: , and 

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Abstract

Molecular approaches are becoming more prevalent for the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases in human medicine and can be extended to diagnosis of wildlife diseases such as chronic wasting disease and other prion diseases. These diseases have been associated with exosome-bound molecular biomarkers of disease progression, such as proteins and micro RNA molecules (miRNA). We tested and optimized a method for exosomal miRNA isolation from minimally invasive, small-volume serum samples obtained from white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). We confirmed the isolation of exosomes and optimized a commercially available benchtop kit to obtain sufficient and pure RNA for miRNA sequencing. The selected method for RNA extraction combines two 500-mL serum aliquots into one elution column and re-eluting the final product of the column. We identified 137 miRNA present in healthy white-tailed deer that can be used as a baseline to identify putative miRNA biomarkers of disease progression and mechanisms of infection in future comparative disease studies. This approach to biomarker discovery may help to inform biological processes in wildlife populations and provide alternatives to invasive or postmortem samples.

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Exosomal micro RNA isolation in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) for diagnostic biomarker discovery
Series title Journal of Wildlife Diseases
DOI 10.7589/JWD-D-24-00075
Volume 61
Issue 1
Year Published 2025
Language English
Publisher Wildlife Disease Association
Contributing office(s) Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
Description 7 p.
First page 212
Last page 218
Additional publication details