Flow Cytometry-Detected Immunological Markers and on Farm Recorded Parameters in Composite Cow Milk as Related to Udder Health Status.

Flow cytometry is a powerful technology used in many fields of cell biology. It is also used as a routine method to count somatic cells in milk and to characterize bovine milk leukocytes. In this study, we used flow cytometry to simultaneously assess the viability, the percentage of the single subsets of leukocytes and to quantify the expression of CD11b, an immunological marker of cell activation status.

Identification of the complete coding cDNAs and expression analysis of B4GALT1, LALBA, ST3GAL5, ST6GAL1 in the colostrum and milk of the Garganica and Maltese goat breeds to reveal possible implications for oligosaccharide biosynthesis.

Background: Milk sialylated oligosaccharides (SOS) play crucial roles in many biological processes. The most abundant free SOS in goat's milk are 3'sialyllactose (3'-SL), 6'sialyllactose (6'-SL) and disialyllactose (DSL). The production of these molecules is determined genetically by the expression of glycosyltransferases and by the availability of nucleotide sugar substrates, but the precise mechanisms regulating the differential patterns of milk oligosaccharides are not known.

Novel and known signals of selection for fat deposition in domestic sheep breeds from Africa and Eurasia.

Genomic regions subjected to selection frequently show signatures such as within-population reduced nucleotide diversity and outlier values of differentiation among differentially selected populations. In this study, we analyzed 50K SNP genotype data of 373 animals belonging to 23 sheep breeds of different geographic origins using the Rsb (extended haplotype homozygosity) and FST statistical approaches, to identify loci associated with the fat-tail phenotype. We also checked if these putative selection signatures overlapped with regions of high-homozygosity (ROH).

Assessment of Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase1 (PARP1) expression and activity in cells purified from blood and milk of dairy cattle.

Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation (PAR) is a post-translational protein modification catalysed by enzyme member of the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs) family. The activation of several PARPs is triggered by DNA strand breakage and the main PARP enzyme involved in this process is PARP1. Besides its involvement in DNA repair, PARP1 is involved in several cellular processes including transcription, epigenetics, chromatin re-modelling as well as in the maintenance of genomic stability.

New Insights on Water Buffalo Genomic Diversity and Post-Domestication Migration Routes From Medium Density SNP Chip Data.

The domestic water buffalo is native to the Asian continent but through historical migrations and recent importations, nowadays has a worldwide distribution. The two types of water buffalo, i.e.

Genome assembly and transcriptome resource for river buffalo, Bubalus bubalis (2n = 50).

Water buffalo is a globally important species for agriculture and local economies. A de novo assembled, well-annotated reference sequence for the water buffalo is an important prerequisite for studying the biology of this species, and is necessary to manage genetic diversity and to use modern breeding and genomic selection techniques. However, no such genome assembly has been previously reported.

Genomic Regions in Local Endangered Sheep Encode Potentially Favorable Genes.

The economic evaluation of farm animal genetic resources plays a key role in developing conservation programs. However, to date, the link between diversity as assessed by neutral genetic markers and the functional diversity is not yet understood. Two genome-wide comparisons, using over 44,000 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms, identified the markers with the highest difference in allele frequency between the Alpago endangered breed and two clusters, composed of four specialized dairy sheep, and four meat breeds respectively.

RNA-Sequencing for profiling goat milk transcriptome in colostrum and mature milk.

Background: In this work we aimed at sequencing and assembling the goat milk transcriptome corresponding at colostrum and 120 days of lactation. To reconstruct transcripts we used both the genome as reference, and a de novo assembly approach. Additionally, we aimed at identifying the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the two lactation stages and at analyzing the expression of genes involved in oligosaccharides metabolism.

Evaluation of leptin receptor expression on buffalo leukocytes.

Experimental evidences support a direct role for leptin in immunity. Besides controlling food intake and energy expenditure, leptin was reported to be involved in the regulation of the immune system in ruminants. The aim of this work was to highlight the expression of leptin receptor (LEPR) on Bubalus bubalis immune cells using a multi-approach assessment: flow cytometry, confocal microscopy and gene expression analysis.

A selective genotyping approach identifies QTL in a simulated population.

Background: Identification of QTLs for important phenotypic traits, through the use of medium-density genome-wide SNP panels, is one of the most challenging areas in animal genetics, for preventing the time-consuming direct sequencing of putative candidate genes, when searching for the mutations that affect the trait. Appropriate statistical analyses allow the identification of genomic regions associated with the investigated trait in the genotyped population.

Methods: The selective genotyping technique was applied to 1000 genotyped animals with known phenotype.

Splicing variants of SERPINA1 gene in ovine milk: characterization of cDNA and identification of polymorphisms.

The serine protease inhibitor, clade A, member 1 (SERPINA1) is the gene for a protein called alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT), which is a member of the serine protease inhibitor (serpin) superfamily of proteins. By conformational change, serpins control several chemical reactions inhibiting the activity of proteases. AAT is the most abundant endogenous serpin in blood circulation and it is present in relatively high concentration in human milk as well as in bovine and porcine colostrum.

Signatures of selection identify loci associated with milk yield in sheep.

Background: Identification of genomic regions that have been targets of selection for phenotypic traits is one of the most challenging areas of research in animal genetics, particularly in livestock where few annotated genes are available. In this study a genome-wide scan using the Illumina SNP50K Beadchip was performed in the attempt to identify genomic regions associated with milk productivity in sheep. The ovine genomic regions encoding putative candidate genes were compared with the corresponding areas in Bos taurus, as the taurine genome is better annotated.

Milk fatty acid variability: effect of some candidate genes involved in lipid synthesis.

In this work, the genetic variation of milk FA was investigated in three different bovine breeds, the Jersey, the Piedmontese and the Valdostana, and at different lactation stages. All animals were genotyped for 21 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms located within nine candidate genes involved in lipid synthesis: diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 and 2 (DGAT1, 2); stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD); growth hormone receptor (GHR); fatty acid synthase (FASN); acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (ACAD); fatty acid binding protein (FABP4); lipoprotein lipase (LPL); and leptin gene (LEP). The highest milk-fat Jersey breed also showed the highest content of saturated FA.

Identification of novel single nucleotide polymorphisms in promoter III of the acetyl-CoA carboxylase-{alpha} gene in goats affecting milk production traits.

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase-alpha (ACACA) is the major regulatory enzyme of fatty acid biosynthesis. We have sequenced a fragment of Promoter III of the ovine ACACA gene in 211 goats of 5 breeds. The caprine sequence showed a high nucleotide identity (99%) with the ovine.