Polymorphism of Selected Regions of MHC and the Health Status of the Ovine Mammary Gland.

Udder diseases () are a serious cause of economic losses in sheep breeding as they have a negative impact on lamb rearing and the quality of dairy products. Thus far, progress in treatment and prevention of these diseases has been insufficient-giving ground for searching possibilities of using natural immunity to combat mastitis. This study aims to assess the relationship between the microsatellite polymorphism of selected MHC genes and the health status of the mammary gland of sheep.

Restriction fragment length polymorphism of exon 2 Ovar-DRB1 gene in Polish Heath Sheep and Polish Lowland Sheep.

Exon 2 of the Ovar-DR gene is known to encode the MHC outer domain (alpha or beta chain) that forms the binding area to antigens presented. The study was aimed at analysing exon 2 Ovar -DRB1 gene polymorphism in Polish Heath Sheep and Polish Lowland Sheep (Zelazna variety). A total of 101 and 99 ewes of the respective breeds were included in this study.