Inbreeding Depression and Purging in Fertility and Longevity Traits in Sheep Breeds from Germany.

In the present study, we analysed fertility and longevity traits of 22 sheep breeds from Germany with a suitable quantity of data in the national database OviCap. The data comprised merino, meat, country and milk sheep breeds with 62,198 ewes and about 173,000 lambing records, until the fifth lambing. Across-breed means of heritabilities reached estimates of 0.

Influence of Sires on Population Substructure in Dülmen Wild Horses.

The objectives of the present study were to analyze the influence of the stallions employed in the Dülmen wild horses on the genetic diversity and population substructure using Bayesian cluster analysis. The Dülmen wild horse is maintained as a unique horse population exposed to the natural conditions all year round in the Merfelder Bruch near Dülmen in Westphalia, Germany. Stallions selected for breeding have to prove their abilities to survive under this harsh environment.

Analyzing Runs of Homozygosity Reveals Patterns of Selection in German Brown Cattle.

An increasing trend in ancestral and classical inbreeding coefficients as well as inbreeding depression for longevity were found in the German Brown population. In addition, the proportion of US Brown Swiss genes is steadily increasing in German Browns. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to analyze the presence and genomic localization of runs of homozygosity (ROH) in order to evaluate their associations with the proportion of US Brown Swiss genes and survival rates of cows to higher lactations.

Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Dülmen Wild, Liebenthal and Polish Konik Horses in Comparison with Przewalski, Sorraia, German Draught and Riding Horses.

The objective of the present study was to analyze the genetic diversity, individual-based assessment of population structure, and admixture in the Dülmen wild horse population in comparison to warmblood, coldblood, and primitive horse populations. The Dülmen wild horse is kept as a unique horse population in the Merfelder Bruch near Dülmen in Westphalia, Germany, and since 1856 has been managed by the Dukes of Croÿ. The Dülmen wild horse population is exposed to the natural conditions of the Merfelder Bruch all year round without human interventions for feeding and veterinary care.

The Estimation of Genetic Parameters for Chronic Progressive Lymphedema and Body Traits in the Rhenish German Draught Horse.

Chronic progressive lymphedema (CPL) is a prevalent and progressive disease in Rhenish German draught horses. The objective of our follow-up study was to evaluate the heritability of this disease in Rhenish German draught horses using pedigree-based and genomic relationship matrices. We employed linear and threshold animal models.

Genotyping (c.608G>A) Mutant Reveals a Wide Distribution of Progressive Ataxia in German Charolais Cattle.

Bovine progressive ataxia in Charolais cattle was first described in the 1970s; then, cases were reported in Charolais worldwide. A homozygous loss-of-function mutation within the gene (c.608G>A) was found to be responsible for this neurodegenerative disease.

A Missense Mutation in the Collagen Triple Helix of Is Associated with X-Linked Recessive Hypohidrotic Ectodermal Dysplasia in Fleckvieh Cattle.

Mutations within the gene have been associated with congenital hypotrichosis and anodontia (HAD/XHED) in humans, mice, dogs and cattle. We identified a three-generation family of Fleckvieh cattle with male calves exhibiting clinical and histopathological signs consistent with an X-linked recessive HAD (XHED). Whole genome and Sanger sequencing of cDNA showed a perfect association of the missense mutation g.

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Associated with AA-Amyloidosis in Siamese and Oriental Shorthair Cats.

AA-amyloidosis in Siamese and Oriental shorthair cats is a lethal condition in which amyloid deposits accumulate systemically, especially in the liver and the thyroid gland. The age at death of affected cats varies between one and seven years. A previous study indicated a complex mode of inheritance involving a major locus.

Radiological Methods for the Imaging of Congenital Malformations of C6-T1, the First and Second Sternal Ribs and Development of a Classification System, Demonstrated in Warmblood Horses.

There are conflicting data in studies on malformations of the cervicothoracic (C-T) junction (C6 to T2, including the first and second ribs), but evidence is mounting that they can be of clinical significance for horses. The objectives of this study were to establish a radiographic protocol for imaging the C-T junction in the field and to classify the radiographic variations found in 39 warmblood horses presented for clinical evaluation due to behavioral or performance issues. Malformations of the ventral lamina of C6 and transposition onto the ventral aspect of C7 were seen in 37/39 (94.

Inbreeding Depression and Purging for Meat Performance Traits in German Sheep Breeds.

This study provides estimates on genetic parameters, inbreeding depression and purging for meat performance measures from 25 German sheep breeds. All German meat, merino sheep breeds and breeds of other breeding directions with a sufficient number of pedigree and performance data were included in this study. Phenotypic traits retrieved from the national database OviCap were evaluated: daily weight gain, meatiness score and ultrasound measurements for muscle and fat thickness.

Historic Horse Family Displaying Malformations of the Cervicothoracic Junction and Their Connection to Modern German Warmblood Horses.

Malformations of the equine cervicothoracic junction affect the C6 and C7 cervical vertebrae, the T1 thoracic vertebra and in variable extent the first and second sternal ribs. To date, the clinical impact of this malformation, its prevalence and mode of inheritance in equine populations are not yet determined. We examined five skeletons for signs of malformation of the cervicothoracic junction, including three skeletons from widely used Thoroughbred stallions affected with the malformation and two skeletons serving as a comparison.

Effect of Individual Rate of Inbreeding, Recent and Ancestral Inbreeding on Wool Quality, Muscling Conformation and Exterior in German Sheep Breeds.

This study provides comprehensive results on the current status of inbreeding depression for traits upon which sheep are selected for the herdbook in Germany. A total of 30 sheep breeds from the OviCap national database met the inclusion criteria for the present analysis regarding the depth and completeness of pedigrees and the number of animals with phenotypic data. We analyzed heritabilities and inbreeding depression for the three breeding objective traits of wool quality, muscling conformation and exterior.

Impact of Inbreeding and Ancestral Inbreeding on Longevity Traits in German Brown Cows.

A recent study on the population structure of the German Brown population found increasing levels of classical and ancestral inbreeding coefficients. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the effects of inbreeding depression and purging on longevity traits using classical and ancestral inbreeding coefficients according to Kalinowski (2002) (F, F), Ballou (1997) (F), and Baumung (2015) (Ahc). For this purpose, uncensored data of 480,440 cows born between 1990 and 2001 were available.

SNP-Based Heritability of Osteochondrosis Dissecans in Hanoverian Warmblood Horses.

Before the genomics era, heritability estimates were performed using pedigree data. Data collection for pedigree analysis is time consuming and holds the risk of incorrect or incomplete data. With the availability of SNP-based arrays, heritability can now be estimated based on genotyping data.

Prevalence of Chronic Progressive Lymphedema in the Rhenish German Draught Horse.

Chronic progressive lymphedema (CPL) is a common disease in Rhenisch German draught horses. The objective of our study was to evaluate the prevalence of this disease and its progression with age in 493 Rhenish German draught horses from different regions in Germany. We employed generalized linear models with binomial, multinomial, and normal distributions to analyse the effects of breeding association, coat colour, sex and age within sex, time of examination, limb on which CPL was recorded, and farm-related factors on disease scores.

Genetic Diversity and Trends of Ancestral and New Inbreeding in German Sheep Breeds by Pedigree Data.

In Germany, many autochthonous sheep breeds have developed, adapted to mountain, heath, moorland, or other marginal sites, but breeds imported from other countries have also contributed to the domestic breeds, particularly improving wool and meat quality. Selective breeding and the intense use of rams may risk losing genetic diversity and increasing rates of inbreeding. On the other hand, breeds with a low number of founder animals and only regional popularity may not leave their endangered status, as the number of breeders interested in the breed is limited.

Tracking footprints of artificial and natural selection signatures in breeding and non-breeding cats.

Stray non-breeding cats (stray) represent the largest heterogeneous cat population subject to natural selection, while populations of the Siamese (SIAM) and Oriental Shorthair (OSH) breeds developed through intensive artificial selection for aesthetic traits. Runs of homozygosity (ROH) and demographic measures are useful tools to discover chromosomal regions of recent selection and to characterize genetic diversity in domestic cat populations. To achieve this, we genotyped 150 stray and 26 household non-breeding cats (household) on the Illumina feline 63 K SNP BeadChip and compared them to SIAM and OSH.

Risk factors associated with the infection of sheep with Dichelobacter nodosus.

Ovine footrot is a highly contagious foot disease caused by the gram-negative bacterium Dichelobacter nodosus (D. nodosus). In a recent report, we showed a prevalence of 42.

A comparison of strategies for generating artificial replicates in RNA-seq experiments.

Due to the overall high costs, technical replicates are usually omitted in RNA-seq experiments, but several methods exist to generate them artificially. Bootstrapping reads from FASTQ-files has recently been used in the context of other NGS analyses and can be used to generate artificial technical replicates. Bootstrapping samples from the columns of the expression matrix has already been used for DNA microarray data and generates a new artificial replicate of the whole experiment.

Genetic Diversity and Trends of Ancestral and New Inbreeding in Deutsch Drahthaar Assessed by Pedigree Data.

Loss of genetic diversity and high inbreeding rates confer an increased risk of congenital anomalies and diseases and thus impacting dog breeding. In this study, we analyzed recent and ancestral inbreeding as well as other measures of genetic variability in the Deutsch Drahthaar (DD) dog population. Analyses included pedigree data from 101,887 animals and a reference population with 65,927 dogs born between 2000 and 2020.

Serological Diversity of in German Sheep Flocks.

Footrot is one of the major causes of lameness in sheep and leads to decreased animal welfare and high economic losses. The causative agent is the Gram-negative anaerobic bacterium . The prevalence of in 207 sheep flocks across Germany was 42.

Prevalence and segregation analysis of dermoid sinus in Rhodesian Ridgebacks.

Rhodesian Ridgebacks are dogs with a characteristic dorsal hair ridge with backward-growing hair. Dermoid sinus was reported as a prevalent congenital condition in ridged dogs and as a sporadic finding in other dog breeds. This condition presents as a tubular skin indentation to variable degree into underlying tissues on the dorsal midline or cranial or caudal to the ridge.

AA-amyloidosis in captive northern tree shrews ().

A high prevalence of AA-amyloidosis was identified in a breeding colony of northern tree shrews () in a retrospective analysis, with amyloid deposits in different organs being found in 26/36 individuals (72%). Amyloid deposits, confirmed by Congo red staining, were detected in kidneys, intestines, skin, and lymph nodes, characteristic of systemic amyloidosis. Immunohistochemically, the deposited amyloid was intensely positive with anti-AA-antibody (clone mc4), suggesting AA-amyloidosis.

An Frameshift Variant Associated with Afibrinogenemia in Dachshunds.

Congenital fibrinogen disorders are very rare in dogs. Cases of afibrinogenemia have been reported in Bernese Mountain, Bichon Frise, Cocker Spaniel, Collie, Lhasa Apso, Viszla, and St. Bernard dogs.