Nucleotide sequences of the prion protein gene PRNP have been obtained in order to assess potential genetic predisposition to the deadly prion chronic wasting disease (CWD) in three regional groups of wild reindeer and two regional groups of domesticated reindeer Rangifer tarandus in the northern European part of Russia. We report identification of seven single nucleotide polymorphisms corresponding to the substitutions in six codons of the prion protein PrP, namely 2(V/M), 129(G/S), 138(S/N), 169(V/M), 176(N/D), and 225(S/Y). Six alleles of the PrP protein have been described. The genotypes with asparagine (N) in codon 138 (138NN and 138SN), which are associated with higher resistance to CWD, were detected in 8.7, 14.3, and 18.2% of animals in the wild reindeer groups from Novaya Zemlya, Kola Peninsula, and the forest regions of Arkhangelsk oblast and the Komi Republic. It has been found that the frequency of these genotypes in domesticated reindeers from the Komi Republic and Kolguev Island was higher, 37.5 and 42.1%, respectively. It has been noted that due to the predominance of PrP genotypes with serine in codon 138 (138SS), which are associated with increased susceptibility to CWD, and the detection of this disease in reindeer, moose, and red deer in Scandinavia, there exists a real danger that CWD will spread among the reindeer inhabiting the European part of Russia.

Based on an analysis of the polymorphism of nucleotide sequences (n = 103) of the hypervariable fragment of the mtDNA control region (D-loop), the genetic diversity of wild and domestic reindeer from the mainland of the European Northeast of Russia (eastern parts of Arkhangelsk oblast, Komi Republic, and the Nenets Autonomous Okrug) was studied. Relatively high values of genetic diversity indices were detected. Phylogenetic analysis showed close relationships between reindeer of the study region and those of the tundra zone of Siberia. The influence of domestic reindeer on the formation of the genetic diversity of the wild reindeer was considered as negligible. Genetic lines belonging to an extinct group of forest reindeer from the Nizhny Novgorod region were found among the modern groups of reindeer from the European Northeast of Russia.

Based on the results of the analysis of nucleotide sequence polymorphism in the hypervariable fragment (left domain) of the mtDNA control region (D loop), the genetic diversity of wild reindeer from the eastern part of the Kola Peninsula (Murmansk oblast, Terskii region) was studied. Low values of the genetic diversity indices for Eurasian wild reindeer were detected. The effect of domestic reindeer breeding on the development of genetic diversity of the wild reindeer population in the studied region (indicating a low degree of hybridization of domesticated and wild reindeer) was estimated.

Genetic diversity of wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) inhabiting the European part of Russia, including Komi Republic, Arkhangelsk oblast, Murmansk oblast, and the Republic of Karelia was characterized using sequence polymorphism of the mtDNA control region. Despite of currently low population number of wild reindeer, they were characterized by a high level of genetic diversity (π = 0.018; H = 0.872 to 0.914). Phylogenetic analysis showed close relationships between European reindeer and wild reindeer of Siberia. In reindeer from Murmansk oblast a haplotype in common with the wild reindeer form Southwestern Norway was described. The reindeer sample examined contained no haplotypes earlier described for the reindeer of Central Norway. It is suggested that in recent past wild reindeer from the European north of Russia formed one population with the reindeer from the north of the Asian part of Eurasia.

Based on an analysis of the polymorphism of nucleotide sequences ( n = 111) of the mtDNA control region (left domain), the genetic diversity of the largest population of wild reindeer Rangifer tarandus in Eurasia, which inhabits Taimyr peninsula, was studied. High levels of haplotype (H) and nucleotide (π) diversity (0.987 and 0.018, respectively) were revealed, which indicate the long existence and the sufficiently stable growth of this population. The absence of long periods of abrupt decrease in the number of the Taimyr wild reindeer population and/or facts of formation of its genetic diversity as a result of mixing of genetically distant conspecific populations is supported by the data on the pattern of mismatch distributions and the topology of the phylogenetic tree. The low level of genetic differences between reindeer from the western, central, and eastern groups reflects their common origin and close relationship.