MicroRNA expression profiling of ovine epithelial cells stimulated with the Staphylococcus aureus in vitro.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) act as key gene expression regulators, influencing intracellular biological and pathological processes. They are of significant interest in animal genetics as potential biomarkers for animal selection and health. This study aimed to unravel the complex miRNA signature involved in mastitis in in vitro cell culture.

Unravelling the Genetic Architecture of Serum Biochemical Indicators in Sheep.

Serum biochemical indicators serve as vital proxies that reflect the physiological state and functions of different organs. The genetic parameters and molecular mechanisms underlying serum biochemical indicators of sheep () have not been well understood. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to identify the genetic architecture and genomic loci underlying ten serum biochemical indicators in sheep, including alanine transaminase, aspartate transferase, lactate dehydrogenase, cholesterol, glucose, phosphorus, calcium, creatinine, urea and total protein levels.

Effects of Low and High Maternal Protein Intake on Fetal Skeletal Muscle miRNAome in Sheep.

Prenatal maternal feeding plays an important role in fetal development and has the potential to induce long-lasting epigenetic modifications. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding, single-stranded RNAs that serve as one epigenetic mechanism. Though miRNAs have crucial roles in fetal programming, growth, and development, there is limited data regarding the maternal diet and miRNA expression in sheep.

Genome-wide association with footrot in hair and wool sheep.

Ovine footrot is an infectious disease with important contributions from and . Footrot is characterized by separation of the hoof from underlying tissue, and this causes severe lameness that negatively impacts animal wellbeing, growth, and profitability. Large economic losses result from lost production as well as treatment costs, and improved genetic tools to address footrot are a valuable long-term goal.

Genome-wide association study of early liveweight traits in fat-tailed Akkaraman lambs.

Small ruminants, especially sheep, are essential for sustainable agricultural production systems, future food/nutrition security, and poverty reduction in developing countries. Within developed countries, the ability of sheep to survive on low-quality forage intake could act as buffer against climate change. Besides sheep's importance in sustainable agricultural production, there has been less ongoing work in terms of sheep genetics in Near East, Middle East and in Africa.

TLR4, MyD88, and TNF-α Expression in the Lungs of Akkaraman and Romanov Lambs in Response to LPS and LTA.

Toll-like receptors are involved in the recognition of bacterial toxins, which cause infection in the respiratory system. This study aimed to evaluate microanatomical and histological alterations in the lungs of 24 healthy Akkaraman and Romanov lambs after the administration of lipoteichoic acid (LTA), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and LTA + LPS and investigate the gene, protein, and immune expression levels of TLR4, MyD88, and TNF-α molecules, known to have immune functions. Microanatomical examinations showed thickened peribronchial and alveolar walls in the lungs of groups LTA, LPS, and LTA + LPS of both breeds due to immune cell infiltration.

Genome-Wide Scan of Wool Production Traits in Akkaraman Sheep.

The objective of this study was to uncover the genetic background of wool quality, a production trait, by estimating genomic heritability and implementing GWAS in Akkaraman sheep. The wool characteristics measured included fibre diameter (FD) and staple length (SL) at the age of 8 months and yearling fibre diameter (YFD), yearling staple length (YSL) and yearling greasy fleece weight (YGFW) at 18 months of age. Animals were genotyped using the Axiom 50 K Ovine Genotyping Array.

Genomic Analysis of Gastrointestinal Parasite Resistance in Akkaraman Sheep.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been used as an effective tool to understand the genetics of complex traits such as gastrointestinal parasite (GIP) resistance. The aim of this study was to understand the genetics of gastrointestinal parasite (nematodes, , ) resistance in Akkaraman sheep by performing genomic heritability estimations and conducting GWAS to uncover responsible genomic regions. This is one of the first studies to examine the genetic resistance of Akkaraman sheep to the tapeworm parasite.

Estimates of genomic heritability and genome-wide association studies for blood parameters in Akkaraman sheep.

The aim of this study was to estimate genomic heritability and the impact that genetic backgrounds have on blood parameters in Akkaraman sheep by conducting genome-wide association studies and regional heritability mapping analysis. Genomic heritability estimates for blood parameters ranged from 0.00 to 0.

LPS- and LTA-Induced Expression of TLR4, MyD88, and TNF-α in Lymph Nodes of the Akkaraman and Romanov Lambs.

Toll-like receptor (TLR)-mediated inflammatory processes play a critical role in the innate immune response during the initial interaction between the infecting microorganism and immune cells. This study aimed to investigate the possible microanatomical and histological differences in mandibular and bronchial lymph nodes in Akkaraman and Romanov lambs induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA) and study the gene, protein, and immunoexpression levels of , () and tumor necrosis factor-α () that are involved in the immune system. Microanatomical examinations demonstrated more intense lymphocyte infiltration in the bronchial lymph nodes of Akkaraman lambs in the LPS and LTA groups compared to Romanov lambs.

Genetic Parameters and Genomic Regions Underlying Growth and Linear Type Traits in Akkaraman Sheep.

In the current study, the genetic architecture of growth and linear type traits were investigated in Akkaraman sheep. Estimations of genomic heritability, genetic correlations, and phenotypic correlations were implemented for 17 growth and linear type traits of 473 Akkaraman lambs by the univariate and multivariate analysis of animal mixed models. Correspondingly, moderate heritability estimates, as well as high and positive genetic/phenotypic correlations were found between growth and type traits.

Association of and with Mature Weight in Sheep.

Signature of selection studies have identified many genomic regions with known functional importance and some without verified functional roles. Multiple studies have identified Transmembrane protein 8B ( as having been recently under extreme selection pressure in domesticated sheep, but no study has provided sheep phenotypic data clarifying a reason for extreme selection. We tested for production trait association in 770 U.

Improvement of Disease Resistance in Livestock: Application of Immunogenomics and CRISPR/Cas9 Technology.

Disease occurrence adversely affects livestock production and animal welfare, and have an impact on both human health and public perception of food-animals production. Combined efforts from farmers, animal scientists, and veterinarians have been continuing to explore the effective disease control approaches for the production of safe animal-originated food. Implementing the immunogenomics, along with genome editing technology, has been considering as the key approach for safe food-animal production through the improvement of the host genetic resistance.

Differential protein input in the maternal diet alters the skeletal muscle transcriptome in fetal sheep.

Maternal nutrition during pregnancy is one of the major intrauterine environmental factors that influence fetal development by significantly altering the expression of genes that might have a consequence on the physiological, morphological, and metabolic performance of the offspring in the postnatal period. The impact of maternal dietary protein on the expression of genes in sheep fetal skeletal muscle development is not well understood. The current study aims to investigate the impact of high and low maternal dietary protein on the holistic mRNA expression in the sheep fetal skeletal muscle.

The EDN2 rs110287192 gene polymorphism is associated with paratuberculosis susceptibility in multibreed cattle population.

Paratuberculosis (pTB), also known as Johne's disease (JD), is a contagious, chronic, and granulomatous inflammatory disease of the intestines of ruminants which is caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) infection, resulting in billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide. Since, currently, no effective cure is available for MAP infection, it is important to explore the genetic variants that affect the host MAP susceptibility.

Association of gene polymorphisms with milk somatic cell count, EC and pH levels of Holstein dairy cattle.

This study was conducted to ivnestigate the associations of and gene polymorphisms with milk somatic cell count (SCC), electrical conductivity (EC) and pH levels in Holstein dairy cows. For this purpose, 167 blood and 1670 milk samples of 167 Holstein cows in their 2nd lactation were used. There were significant relationships between I genotypes and milk EC ( < 0.

Effects of vitamin and mineral premix withdrawal from diets on carcass and meat quality of feedlot steers.

The primary objective of the present study was to assess the effects of vitamin and mineral premix (VMP) withdrawal from the diets 30 and 60 days ahead of slaughter on carcass and meat quality of Holstein Friesian steers. A total of 45 animals at 16 to 17 months of age were used and the selected animals were divided into three experimental groups: control group (fed with a diet with VMP), VMP withdrawal 30 days ahead of slaughter (VMP30 group), and VMP withdrawal 60 days ahead of slaughter (VMP60 group). Meat samples were taken at 24 h postmortem from the 13th rib section and meat quality was evaluated on the Longissimus dorsi thoracis (LT) muscle.

Oxidative stress modulates the expression of apoptosis-associated microRNAs in bovine granulosa cells in vitro.

Despite its essential role in ovulation, oxidative stress (OS) has been found to be cytotoxic to cells, while microRNAs (miRNAs) are known as a major regulator of genes involved in cellular defense against cytotoxicity. However, a functional link between OS and miRNA expression changes in granulosa cells (GCs) remains to be investigated. Here, we investigate the OS modulation of apoptosis-associated miRNAs and their biological relevance in bovine GCs.

Polymorphisms in toll-like receptor () 1, 4, 9 and genes and their association with paratuberculosis susceptibility in Holstein and indigenous crossbred cattle in Turkey.

subsp. (MAP) causes major problem in a wide range of animal species. In ruminant livestock including cattle, it causes a chronic disease called Johne's disease, or paratuberculosis (pTB) which is currently considered as potential zoonosis, causing Crohn's disease in humans.

Transcriptome profile of lung dendritic cells after in vitro porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) infection.

The porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is an infectious disease that leads to high financial and production losses in the global swine industry. The pathogenesis of this disease is dependent on a multitude of factors, and its control remains problematic. The immune system generally defends against infectious diseases, especially dendritic cells (DCs), which play a crucial role in the activation of the immune response after viral infections.

Concentration dependent antioxidative and apoptotic effects of sulforaphane on bovine granulosa cells in vitro.

Sulforaphane (SFN) has received a great deal of research attention because of its ability to induce the production of a battery of antioxidant enzymes in certain concentrations through the activation of the Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway, which may effectively neutralize reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced oxidative stress. This study was conducted to investigate the potential of different concentrations of SFN in inducing antioxidative and apoptotic effects in granulosa cells (GCs). For this purpose, bovine GCs were collected from preovulatory antral follicles and cultured with different concentrations of SFN (0-80 μM) and based on phenotypic evaluation three concentrations were selected: 2 μM (low), 10 μM (medium), and 20 μM (high) for further investigations.

Ovar-DRB1 haplotypes *2001 and *0301 are associated with sheep growth and ewe lifetime prolificacy.

Background: The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is an organized cluster of tightly linked vertebrate genes with immunological and non-immunological functions. While the important MHC gene DRB1 has been examined in regard to many sheep infectious disease traits, only one study, based on microsatellite markers, has previously examined DRB1 and sheep production traits. Furthermore, to our knowledge no studies have examined DRB1 relationship with lifetime ewe prolificacy traits.

Integrative Analysis of Metabolomic, Proteomic and Genomic Data to Reveal Functional Pathways and Candidate Genes for Drip Loss in Pigs.

The aim of this study was to integrate multi omics data to characterize underlying functional pathways and candidate genes for drip loss in pigs. The consideration of different omics levels allows elucidating the black box of phenotype expression. Metabolite and protein profiling was applied in Musculus longissimus dorsi samples of 97 Duroc × Pietrain pigs.