Genomic Variability Survey in L., with Reference to Four Insular Populations from Eastern Europe.

Cosmopolitan in the western areas of Europe as well as on other continents, the Ilex genus is interesting for its genetic, phenotypic, and biogeographic variabilities. Its insular/local distribution, according to existing data on the periphery of the central and southern European areas, represents a suitable case study with reference to the adaptive plasticity or acclimatization of the L. species to new climatic conditions.

Four SNPs in the untranslated region of the NOTCH2 gene involved in reproductive traits in fertile and anestrum Holstein Friesian cattle.

Background: There are no studies belong NOTCH2 gene polymorphism in relation to reproductive and productive traits in Holstein cattle. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of NOTCH2 gene polymorphisms on productive and reproductive performance of fertile and anestrum cattle.

Methods: The cattle were classified into anestrus for 3-12 months postpartum (n = 115, 37.

Simultaneous Occurrence of Hypospadias and Bilateral Cleft Lip and Jaw in a Crossbred Calf: Clinical, Computer Tomographic, and Genomic Characterization.

Congenital abnormalities in animals, including abnormalities of the cleft lip and jaw and hypospadias have been reported in all domesticated species. They are a major concern for breeders due to the increased economic loss they entail. In this article, we described a congenital bilateral cheilognathoschisis (cleft lip and jaw) with campylognathia in association with penile hypospadias and preputial hypoplasia with failure of preputial fusion in a crossbred Piedmontese × Wagyu calf.

Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR Genotyping of 89 SNPs in Romanian Spotted and Romanian Brown Cattle Breeds and Their Association with Clinical Mastitis.

Mastitis is the most common production disease in the dairy sector worldwide, its incidence being associated with both cows' exposure to bacteria and the cows' genetic make-up for resistance to pathogens. The objective of our study was to analyse 89 missense SNPs belonging to six genes (), which were found to be associated with genetic resistance or susceptibility to mastitis. A total of 298 cattle (250 Romanian Spotted and 48 Romanian Brown) were genotyped by Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP) and a chi-squared test was used for genetic association studies with clinical mastitis.

Genetic polymorphism in European and African sheep breeds reared in Hungary based on 48 SNPs associated with resistance to gastrointestinal parasite infection using KASP-PCR technique.

This pilot study used an alternative and economically efficient technique, the Kompetitive Allele-Specific Polymerase Chain Reaction (KASP-PCR) to examine 48 SNPs from 11 parasite-resistance genes found on 8 chromosomes in 110 animals from five sheep breeds reared in Hungary; Hungarian Tsigai, White Dorper, Dorper, Ile de France, and Hungarian Merino. Allele and genotype frequencies, fixation index, observed heterozygosity, expected heterozygosity, F statistic, and their relationship with the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (WHE) and the polymorphic information content (PIC) were determined, followed by principal component analysis (PCA). As much as 32 SNPs out of the 48 initially studied were successfully genotyped.

Polymorphism of the () Gene and Its Effect on Milk Production Traits in Romanian Cattle Breeds.

In the present study, we investigated one polymorphism of the gene (rs211032652 SNP) and assessed its influence on milk production and chemical composition in two Romanian cattle breeds. A total of 119 cattle from two breeds reared in Western Romania (64 Romanian Spotted and 55 Romanian Brown) were included in the research herd. A PCR-RFLP genotyping assay was used for the identification of the rs211032652 SNP variants.

Validation of SNP markers for thermotolerance adaptation in Ovis aries adapted to different climatic regions using KASP-PCR technique.

A study on 51 SNPs belonging to 29 genes related to heat stress was carried out in 720 sheep from 17 different breeds adapted to different climates from Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Morocco and Romania, using Kompetitive Allele-Specific Polymerase Chain Reaction. Genotype frequency and the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were calculated, followed by a clustering using the Principal Component Analysis. We analyzed the polymorphisms in the following genes analyzed: HSPA12A, HSP90AA1, IL33, DIO2, BTNL2, CSN2, ABCG1, CSN1S1, GHR, HSPA8, STAT3, and HCRT.

Free Radical Scavenging, Redox Balance and Wound Healing Activity of Bioactive Peptides Derived from Proteinase K-Assisted Hydrolysis of Skin Collagen.

Research Background: Various protocols for enzymatic hydrolysis of fish by-products are increasingly tested to ensure value-added products with functional and biological properties important for food, cosmetic and medical applications. In addition, they attempt to minimize waste from industrial processing and environmental requirements. This study aims to establish an efficient protocol based on two-step enzymatic hydrolysis of freshwater fish skin and to evaluate the effect of resulting bioactive peptides on free radical scavenging, redox balance and regulation of fibroblast proliferation and migration.

Assessing Phenotypic Variability in Some Eastern European Insular Populations of the Climatic Relict L.

Through its natural or cultivated insular population distribution, L. is a paramount species which is exceptionally suitable for studying phenotypic variability and plasticity through the assessment of morphological, physiological, biochemical and genomic features with respect to acclimation and/or adaptation efficiency. The current study is focused on four insular populations of from Eastern Europe (i.

Effect of Fish Bone Bioactive Peptides on Oxidative, Inflammatory and Pigmentation Processes Triggered by UVB Irradiation in Skin Cells.

In the present study, we evaluated for the first time the photoprotective effect of fish bone bioactive peptides (FBBP) preparation isolated from silver carp () discarded tissue using in vitro experimental models of skin cells exposed to ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation and stressing agents. FBBP preparation was obtained by papain treatment of minced bones and centrifugal ultrafiltration, and the molecular weight (MW) distribution was characterized by size exclusion and reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). In vitro assessment of the effect of FBBP pretreatment in UVB-irradiated L929 fibroblasts and HaCaT keratinocytes revealed their cytoprotective activity.

Extracellular matrix biomimetic polymeric membranes enriched with silver nanoparticles for wound healing.

Severe skin injuries, including burns, represent a real concern for the global health-care system and therefore, there is an increased interest in developing wound dressings, in order to stimulate and enhance skin tissue repair. The aim of this study was to design novel hybrid materials, biomimetic to skin extracellular matrix and enriched with silver nanoparticles (nAg), in order to provide both dermal tissue regeneration and antimicrobial activity. Two material variants (variant A and variant B) consisting of type I collagen (COL), chondroitin sulfate (CS) and k-elastin peptides (EL) enriched with positively-charged nAg, were conditioned as membranes.

Evaluation of single nucleotide polymorphisms identified through the use of SNP assay in Romanian and Chinese Holstein and Simmental cattle breeds.

Simmental and Holstein cattle, being among the most widely distributed breeds worldwide, have been subjected to continuous selection for distinct purposes. In the current study, we evaluated the levels of SNPs identified through the use of SNP assay in Romanian Holstein and Romanian Simmental cattle, which then were compared to the data from Chinese Holstein and Chinese Simmental cattle. In total, 282 animals were genotyped: Romanian Holstein (n=30), Romanian Simmental (n=22), Chinese Holstein (n=96) and Chinese Simmental cattle (n=136), using 39,724 common SNPs to analyze minor allele frequency, genetic variability and level of SNPs.

Antioxidant, Cytotoxic and Antimicrobial Activity of Chitosan Preparations Extracted from Ganoderma Lucidum Mushroom.

Two chitosan extracts were prepared by chemical and enzymatic treatment of Ganoderma lucidum mushroom, as an alternative source to crustacean shells. The molecular weight of the enzymatic extract was lower than that of the chemical one and of shrimp chitosan, as determined by viscosity measurements. Characteristic signals were identified in the H-NMR spectra and high deacetylation degree indicated good physico-chemical properties for both mushroom chitosan extracts.

Large-scale mitochondrial DNA analysis reveals new light on the phylogeography of Central and Eastern-European Brown hare (Lepus europaeus Pallas, 1778).

European brown hare, Lepus europaeus, from Central and Eastern European countries (Hungary, Poland, Serbia, Lithuania, Romania, Georgia and Italy) were sampled, and phylogenetic analyses were carried out on two datasets: 1.) 137 sequences (358 bp) of control region mtDNA; and 2.) 105 sequences of a concatenated fragment (916 bp), including the cytochrome b, tRNA-Thr, tRNA-Pro and control region mitochondrial DNA.

Genetic characterization of indigenous goat breeds in Romania and Hungary with a special focus on genetic resistance to mastitis and gastrointestinal parasitism based on 40 SNPs.

Goat breeding has become an important sector in Eastern Europe, with Romania and Hungary being among the major producer countries. Given the limited number of research done up-to-date concerning genetic studies of indigenous goat breeds reared in Romania and Hungary, the current preliminary study aimed to analyze the variability of genes related to mastitis and gastrointestinal parasitism by using Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP™). We studied 52 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) belonging to 19 genes in indigenous breeds from both countries, namely Banat's White (n = 36), Carpatina (n = 35) from Romania and Hungarian Milking (n = 79) and identified 16 polymorphic SNPs among 10 genes (PTX3, IL6, CLEC4E, IL8, IL1RN, IL15RA, TNFSF13, SOCS3, TNF and TLR3) in 150 animals.

Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP™) genotyping of 48 polymorphisms at different caprine loci in French Alpine and Saanen goat breeds and their association with milk composition.

Using a novel and fast genotyping method called Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP™), we carried out a pilot study on 48 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) belonging to 40 genes in French Alpine ( = 24) and Saanen ( = 25) goats reared in Romania. Furthermore, the associations of the 13 polymorphic genetic variants with milk production and composition were investigated. Thirty-five SNPs did not show polymorphism in the studied populations.

The influence of CSN3 and LGB polymorphisms on milk production and chemical composition in Romanian Simmental cattle.

The aim of this study was to assess the influence of genotypes from the CSN3 and LGB loci on milk production and chemical composition in Romanian Simmental cattle (n=114). For the CSN3 locus a significantly higher frequency (P≤0.001) was observed for the allele A (0.

Preliminary report on β-casein gene Met183QVal183 polymorphism in Romanian indigenous Zackel sheep breeds.

Genetic polymorphisms of the milk protein genes are important because of their effects on quantitative traits and technological properties of milk manufacturing. In the present study we identified the polymorphism of the beta-casein gene in two local sheep breeds (Racka n=98 and Turcana n=111) in Romania. The most studied variants at the ovine beta-casein (CSN2) locus are: A and G variants.

Genetic polymorphism of CSN2 gene in Banat White and Carpatina goats.

The main objective of the current study was to obtain preliminary results on genetic polymorhism of A and C variants at the CSN2 locus in indigenous Romanian goat (Banat White, Carpatina) breeds using a rapid and efficient genotyping method, TaqMan assay (Applied Biosystems, USA). Hair follicle samples were taken from 73 Banat White and 82 Carpatina purebred goats from Arad, Caras-Severin and Timis counties. After the optimization of the genotyping assay it was found that the most frequent allele at the CSN2 locus was C in Banat White breed, while CSN2*A and CSN2*C showed similar frequencies in Carpatina breed (0.

Microsatellite and Mitochondrial DNA Study of Native Eastern European Cattle Populations: The Case of the Romanian Grey.

The Eastern European Grey cattle are regarded as the direct descendants of the aurochs (Bos taurus primigenius). Nowadays in Romania, less than 100 Grey animals are being reared and included in the national gene reserve. We examined the genetic diversity among Romanian Grey, Brown, Spotted and Black and White cattle breeds, with a particular focus on Romanian Grey through the use of (i) 11 bovine specific microsatellite markers on 83 animals and (ii) 638 bp length of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop region sequence data from a total of 81 animals.