Comparative Characterization of Immune Response in Sheep with Caseous Lymphadenitis through Analysis of the Whole Blood Transcriptome.

Caseous lymphadenitis (CL) is a chronic contagious disease that affects small ruminants and is characterized by the formation of pyogranulomas in lymph nodes and other organs. However, the pathogenesis of this disease and the response of the host genome to infection are not yet fully understood. This study aimed to investigate the whole blood transcriptome and evaluate differential gene expression during the later stages of CL in naturally infected ewes.

Physiochemical characteristics and fermentation ability of milk from Czech Fleckvieh cows are related to genetic polymorphisms of β-casein, κ-casein, and β-lactoglobulin.

Objective: The aim of the study was to find a possible association between the β- and κ-casein and β-lactoglobulin genotypes and important milk physiochemical and technological characteristics such as acidity, alcohol stability, the contents of some minerals and the parameters of acid fermentation ability (FEA) in Czech Fleckvieh Cattle.

Methods: Milk and blood samples were collected from 338 primiparous Czech Fleckvieh cows at the same stage of lactation. The genotypes of individual cows for κ-casein (alleles A, B, and E) and β-lactoglobulin (alleles A and B) were ascertained by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism, while their β-casein (alleles A1, A2, A3, and B) genotype was determined using melting curve genotyping analysis.

Association of leptin, toll-like receptor 4, and chemokine receptor of interleukin 8 C-X-C motif single nucleotide polymorphisms with fertility traits in Czech Fleckvieh cattle.

Objective: The use of genetic markers can help to enhance reproduction in cattle, which is a very important trait for profitability in dairy production systems. This study evaluated the association between genotypes of leptin (LEP), toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), and chemokine receptor of interleukin 8 C-X-C motif (CXCR1) genes and fertility traits in Czech Fleckvieh cattle.

Methods: Phenotypic data from 786 Czech Fleckvieh cows raised on 5 farms in the Czech Republic were used, along with information from the 1st three parities.

Technical note: A novel method for routine genotyping of the G allele of β-casein (CSN2) and T allele of κ-casein (CSN3) in a sheep population using LightCycler.

The goal of this work was to develop a protocol for rapid genotyping of A and G variants at the CSN2 locus and genotyping of T and C variants at the CSN3 locus in sheep breeds (Sumava and Valachian) by means of PCR and LightCycler analysis. The LightCycler technique combines rapid and efficient in vitro amplification of DNA in glass capillaries with melting curve analysis based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer for the sensitive detection of point mutation. The A variant had a greater frequency (Sumava, 0.

Short communication: Polymorphism of casein cluster genes in Czech local goat breeds.

The 4 casein loci were evaluated as haplotypes in 2 dairy goat breeds kept in the Czech Republic. Analysis of 41 White Shorthaired (WSH) trio families and 44 Brown Shorthaired (BSH) trio families revealed 14 and 20 haplotypes, respectively. Various genomic techniques were used to type the casein loci.