Publications by authors named "Claude Limouzin"
Article Synopsis
- Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are neurodegenerative diseases caused by prions, which are abnormal forms of prion proteins that lead to cross-species transmission.
- Rabbits show significant resistance to TSEs, but transgenic rabbits expressing a susceptible allele from sheep were created to study this resistance.
- These transgenic rabbits developed TSE symptoms within 6-8 months after infection, while wild type rabbits remained healthy, indicating that resistance is not solely due to their genetic background.
Article Synopsis
- The experiment aimed to evaluate how effective selection based on responses to artificial infections could help breed sheep that are resistant to natural infections with a specific parasite.
- Two groups of 100 Romanov ram lambs were tested, one with controlled artificial infections and the other with natural pasture exposure, to measure their susceptibility through fecal egg counts (FEC).
- Results showed variable resistance levels between the artificial and natural infection methods, with genetic estimates indicating repeatabilities and heritabilities of FEC that suggest potential for selective breeding in future generations.
