Variation in ovine serum vitamin D concentrations from late summer to early spring and during immune challenge with bacterial endotoxin.

Vitamin D is most known for its role in the development and maintenance of the skeletal system. However, recent studies have found that vitamin D modulates the immune system, and at sufficient levels supports optimal immune function. Previous research has examined how vitamin D levels change seasonally and during immune stress challenges in both humans and cattle, but not sheep.

Investigating the IgM and IgG B Cell Receptor Repertoires and Expression of Ultralong Complementarity Determining Region 3 in Colostrum and Blood from Holstein-Friesian Cows at Calving.

In cattle, colostral maternal immunoglobulins and lymphocytes transfer across the neonate's intestinal epithelium to provide protection against pathogens. This study aimed to compare repertoires of B cell populations in blood and colostrum in cows for the first time, with an emphasis on ultralong complementarity determining region 3 (CDR3, ≥40 amino acids). Blood mononuclear cells (BMCs, = 7) and colostral cells ( = 7) were isolated from Holstein-Friesian dairy cows.

The Immunomodulatory Effects of Selenium: A Journey from the Environment to the Human Immune System.

Selenium (Se) is an essential nutrient that has gained attention for its impact on the human immune system. The purpose of this review is to explore Se's immunomodulatory properties and to make up-to-date information available so novel therapeutic applications may emerge. People acquire Se through dietary ingestion, supplementation, or nanoparticle applications.

Estimates of Sequences with Ultralong and Short CDR3s in the Bovine IgM B Cell Receptor Repertoire Using the Long-read Oxford Nanopore MinION Platform.

Cattle produce Abs with an H chain ultralong CDR3 (40-70 aa). These Abs have been shown to have features such as broad neutralization of viruses and are investigated as human therapeutics. A common issue in sequencing the bovine BCR repertoire is the sequence length required to capture variable (V) and isotype gene information.

Investigating the effect of reduced temperatures on the efficacy of rhabdovirus-based viral vector platforms.

Rhabdoviral vectors can induce lysis of cancer cells. While studied almost exclusively at 37 °C, viruses are subject to a range of temperatures , including temperatures ≤31 °C. Despite potential implications, the effect of temperatures <37 °C on the performance of rhabdoviral vectors is unknown.

Characterization of the Hepatic Transcriptome for Divergent Immune-Responding Sheep Following Natural Exposure to Gastrointestinal Nematodes.

Infections with gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) reduce the economic efficiency of sheep operations and compromise animal welfare. Understanding the host's response to GIN infection can help producers identify animals that are naturally resistant to infection. The objective of this study was to characterize the hepatic transcriptome of sheep that had been naturally exposed to GIN parasites.

Genomic Regions Associated with Resistance to Gastrointestinal Nematode Parasites in Sheep-A Review.

Gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) can be a major constraint and global challenge to the sheep industry. These nematodes infect the small intestine and abomasum of grazing sheep, causing symptoms such as weight loss, diarrhea, hypoproteinemia, and anemia, which can lead to death. The use of anthelmintics to treat infected animals has led to GIN resistance, and excessive use of these drugs has resulted in residue traced in food and the environment.

Novel lncRNA regulatory elements in milk somatic cells of Holstein dairy cows associated with mastitis.

Despite regulatory elements such as long non - coding RNAs representing most of the transcriptome, the functional understanding of long non - coding RNAs in relation to major health conditions including bovine mastitis is limited. This study examined the milk somatic cell transcriptome from udder quarters of 6 Holstein dairy cows to identify differentially expressed long non - coding RNAs using RNA - Sequencing. Ninety - four differentially expressed long non - coding RNAs are identified, 5 of which are previously annotated for gene name and length, 11 are annotated for gene name and 78 are novel, having no gene name or length previously annotated.

N-Acetylcysteine and Its Immunomodulatory Properties in Humans and Domesticated Animals.

N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an acetylated derivative of the amino acid L-cysteine, has been widely used as a mucolytic agent and antidote for acetaminophen overdose since the 1960s and the 1980s, respectively. NAC possesses antioxidant, cytoprotective, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and mucolytic properties, making it a promising therapeutic agent for a wide range of diseases in both humans and domesticated animals. Oxidative stress and inflammation play a major role in the onset and progression of all these diseases.

The effects of timing of high immune response phenotyping in relation to weaning on immune responses of crossbred beef calves.

Genetic selection for immune response has the potential to increase the sustainability of the beef industry by breeding cattle that are productive yet with an increased capacity to resist disease. Determining the optimal time to immunophenotype beef cattle is crucial for the accurate prediction of an animal's immune response. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of time of immunophenotyping in relation to weaning on immune responses of beef calves.

Impact of heat stress on dairy cattle and selection strategies for thermotolerance: a review.

Climate change is a problem that causes many environmental issues that impact the productivity of livestock species. One of the major issues associated with climate change is an increase of the frequency of hot days and heat waves, which increases the risk of heat stress for livestock species. Dairy cattle have been identified as being susceptible to heat stress due to their high metabolic heat load.

Identifying hepatic genes regulating the ovine response to gastrointestinal nematodes using RNA-Sequencing.

Gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infections are considered the most important disease of grazing sheep and due to increasing anthelmintic resistance, chemical control alone is inadequate. Resistance to Gastrointestinal nematode infection is a heritable trait, and through natural selection many sheep breeds have higher resistance. Studying the transcriptome from GINexposed and GIN-unexposed sheep using RNA-Sequencing technology can provide measurements of transcript levels associated with the host response to Gastrointestinal nematode infection, and these transcripts may harbor genetic markers that can be used in selective breeding programs to enhance disease resistance.

Expression Profile of miRNA from High, Middle, and Low Stress-Responding Sheep during Bacterial Endotoxin Challenge.

Animals respond to stress by activating a wide array of physiological and behavioral responses that are collectively referred to as the stress response. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding RNAs that play key roles in the regulation of homeostasis. There are many reports demonstrating examples of stress-induced miRNA expression profiles.

Correction: Karrow et al. Maternal COVID-19 Vaccination and Its Potential Impact on Fetal and Neonatal Development. 2021, , 1351.

In the original publication [...

Immunoceuticals: Harnessing Their Immunomodulatory Potential to Promote Health and Wellness.

Knowledge that certain nutraceuticals can modulate the immune system is not new. These naturally occurring compounds are known as immunoceuticals, which is a novel term that refers to products and systems that naturally improve an individual's immuno-competence. Examples of immunoceuticals include vitamin D3, mushroom glycans, flavonols, quercetin, omega-3 fatty acids, carotenoids, and micronutrients (e.

Immuno-phenotyping of Canadian beef cattle: adaptation of the high immune response methodology for utilization in beef cattle.

The high immune response (HIR) methodology measures the genetic performance of the adaptive immune system to identify and breed animals with balanced and robust immunity. The HIR methodology has previously been used in dairy and swine to reduce disease but has not been fully investigated in beef cattle. The first objective of the current study was to examine whether the HIR methodology as standardized for use in dairy cattle was appropriate for use in beef cattle.

Concentration and heritability of immunoglobulin G and natural antibody immunoglobulin M in dairy and beef colostrum along with serum total protein in their calves.

Immunoglobulin (Ig) G and natural antibody (NAb) IgM are passively transferred to the neonatal calf through bovine colostrum. Maternal IgG provides pathogen- or vaccine-specific protection and comprises about 85% of colostral Ig. NAb-IgM is less abundant but provides broad and nonspecific reactivity, potentially contributing to protection against the dissemination of pathogens in the blood (septicemia) in a calf's first days of life.

Maternal COVID-19 Vaccination and Its Potential Impact on Fetal and Neonatal Development.

Vaccines have been developed at "warp speed" to combat the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Although they are considered the best approach for preventing mortality, when assessing the safety of these vaccines, pregnant women have not been included in clinical trials. Thus, vaccine safety for this demographic, as well as for the developing fetus and neonate, remains to be determined.

Response to Oxidative Burst-Induced Hypoxia Is Associated With Macrophage Inflammatory Profiles as Revealed by Cellular Genome-Wide Association.

Background: In mammalian species, hypoxia is a prominent feature of inflammation. The role of hypoxia in regulating macrophage responses alteration in metabolic pathways is well established. Recently, oxidative burst-induced hypoxia has been shown in murine macrophages after phagocytosis.

Effect of in-vitro heat stress challenge on the function of blood mononuclear cells from dairy cattle ranked as high, average and low immune responders.

Background: The warming climate is causing livestock to experience heat stress at an increasing frequency. Holstein cows are particularly susceptible to heat stress because of their high metabolic rate. Heat stress negatively affects immune function, particularly with respect to the cell-mediated immune response, which leads to increased susceptibility to disease.

The bioactivity of colostrum and milk exosomes of high, average, and low immune responder cows on human intestinal epithelial cells.

Bovine milk contains bioactive components that are nutritionally and immunologically important to calves and humans. Dairy cows classified as high (H) immune responders using the patented high immune response technology have higher concentrations of immunoglobulin and specific antibodies in sera and milk compared with average (A) and low (L) responders. MicroRNA post-transcriptionally regulate expression of milk bioactive components and are enriched in extracellular vesicles known as exosomes, which protect them from degradation.

Identification of Ovine Serum miRNAs Following Bacterial Lipopolysaccharide Challenge.

Host-pathogen interactions are complex and influenced by host genetic and epigenetic modifications. Recently, the significance of microRNAs (miRNAs) in pathogenic infection and the regulation of immune response has been highlighted. However, information on miRNAs' role in the course of inflammation is still very limited in small ruminants.

Transcriptomic Profiles of Monocyte-Derived Macrophages in Response to Escherichia coli is Associated with the Host Genetics.

Reactive Nitrogen Species (RNS) are a group of bactericidal molecules produced by macrophages in response to pathogens in a process called oxidative burst. Nitric oxide (NO) is a member of RNS produced from arginine by inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase (iNOS) enzyme. The activity of iNOS and production of NO by macrophages following stimulation is one of the indicators of macrophage polarization towards M1/proinflammatory.

Genetic and Epigenetic Regulation of Immune Response and Resistance to Infectious Diseases in Domestic Ruminants.

Infectious diseases are the outcome of complex interactions between the host, pathogen, and environment. After exposure to a pathogen, the host immune system uses various mechanisms to remove the pathogen. However, environmental factors and characteristics of pathogens can compromise the host immune responses and subsequently alter the outcome of infection.