Multicomponent decellularized extracellular matrix of caprine small intestine submucosa based bioactive hydrogel promoting full-thickness burn wound healing in rabbits

Effective treatment for full-thickness burn wounds has remained challenging for clinicians. Among various strategies, extracellular gel-based dressing materials have gained attention to promote effective and rapid wound healing. These gel-based materials are porous and have antioxidant, antibacterial, hydrophilic, biodegradation, and biocompatible properties and hence can be used to alleviate burn wound healing. In concurrence with these findings, the present study evaluates thermo-responsive and self-assembled decellularized extracellular matrix (ECM) of caprine small intestine submucosa (DG-SIS) gel-based dressing material for burn wound healing. To expedite healing and efficiently tackle excessive free radicals and bioburden at the burn wound site, DG-SIS gel is fortified with antibacterial components (zinc oxide nanoparticles; ZnO) and a potent antioxidant agent (Vitamin-C;Vt-C). ZnO- and Vt-C-enriched DG-SIS (DG-SIS/ZnO/Vt-C) gels significantly increased the antioxidant and antibacterial activity of the therapeutic hydrogel. Additionally, the fabricated DG-SIS/ZnO/Vt-C bioactive gel resulted in significant full-thickness burn wound contraction (97.75 % in 14 days), a lower inflammatory effect, and enhanced angiogenesis with the highest collagen synthesis (1.22 μg/mg in 14 days) at the wound site. The outcomes from this study demonstrate a synergistic effect of ZnO/Vt-C in the bioactive gel as an effective and inexpensive therapeutic approach for full-thickness burn wound treatment.

Artificial intelligence algorithm comparison and ranking for weight prediction in sheep

In a rapidly transforming world, farm data is growing exponentially. Realizing the importance of this data, researchers are looking for new solutions to analyse this data and make farming predictions. Artificial Intelligence, with its capacity to handle big data is rapidly becoming popular. In addition, it can also handle non-linear, noisy data and is not limited by the conditions required for conventional data analysis. This study was therefore undertaken to compare the most popular machine learning (ML) algorithms and rank them as per their ability to make predictions on sheep farm data spanning 11 years. Data was cleaned and prepared was done before analysis. Winsorization was done for outlier removal. Principal component analysis (PCA) and feature selection (FS) were done and based on that, three datasets were created viz. PCA (wherein only PCA was used), PCA+ FS (both techniques used for dimensionality reduction), and FS (only feature selection used) bodyweight prediction. Among the 11 ML algorithms that were evaluated, the correlations between true and predicted values for MARS algorithm, Bayesian ridge regression, Ridge regression, Support Vector Machines, Gradient boosting algorithm, Random forests, XgBoost algorithm, Artificial neural networks, Classification and regression trees, Polynomial regression, K nearest neighbours and Genetic Algorithms were 0.993, 0.992, 0.991, 0.991, 0.991, 0.99, 0.99, 0.984, 0.984, 0.957, 0.949, 0.734 respectively for bodyweights. The top five algorithms for the prediction of bodyweights, were MARS, Bayesian ridge regression, Ridge regression, Support Vector Machines and Gradient boosting algorithm. A total of 12 machine learning models were developed for the prediction of bodyweights in sheep in the present study. It may be said that machine learning techniques can perform predictions with reasonable accuracies and can thus help in drawing inferences and making futuristic predictions on farms for their economic prosperity, performance improvement and subsequently food security.

Ribavirin inhibits the replication of infectious bursal disease virus predominantly through depletion of cellular guanosine pool

Introduction

The antiviral activity of different mutagens against single-stranded RNA viruses is well documented; however, their activity on the replication of double-stranded RNA viruses remains unexplored. This study aims to investigate the effect of different antivirals on the replication of a chicken embryo fibroblast-adapted Infectious Bursal Disease virus, FVSKG2. This study further explores the antiviral mechanism utilized by the most effective anti-IBDV agent.

Methods

The cytotoxicity and anti-FVSKG2 activity of different antiviral agents (ribavirin, 5-fluorouracil, 5-azacytidine, and amiloride) were evaluated. The virus was serially passaged in chicken embryo fibroblasts 11 times at sub-cytotoxic concentrations of ribavirin, 5-fluorouracil or amiloride. Further, the possible mutagenic and non-mutagenic mechanisms utilized by the most effective anti-FVSKG2 agent were explored.

Results and Discussion

Ribavirin was the least cytotoxic on chicken embryo fibroblasts, followed by 5-fluorouracil, amiloride and 5-azacytidine. Ribavirin inhibited the replication of FVSKG2 in chicken embryo fibroblasts significantly at concentrations as low as 0.05 mM. The extinction of FVSKG2 was achieved during serial passage of the virus in chicken embryo fibroblasts at ≥0.05 mM ribavirin; however, the emergence of a mutagen-resistant virus was not observed until the eleventh passage. Further, no mutation was observed in 1,898 nucleotides of the FVSKG2 following its five passages in chicken embryo fibroblasts in the presence of 0.025 mM ribavirin. Ribavarin inhibited the FVSKG2 replication in chicken embryo fibroblasts primarily through IMPDH-mediated depletion of the Guanosine Triphosphate pool of cells. However, other mechanisms like ribavirin-mediated cytokine induction or possible inhibition of viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase through its interaction with the enzyme's active sites enhance the anti-IBDV effect. Ribavirin inhibits ds- RNA viruses, likely through IMPDH inhibition and not mutagenesis. The inhibitory effect may, however, be augmented by other non-mutagenic mechanisms, like induction of antiviral cytokines in chicken embryo fibroblasts or interaction of ribavirin with the active sites of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of the virus.

An Investigation of the Antiviral Potential of Phytocompounds against Avian Infectious Bronchitis Virus through Template-Based Molecular Docking and Molecular Dynamics Simulation Analysis

Vaccination is widely used to control Infectious Bronchitis in poultry; however, the limited cross-protection and safety issues associated with these vaccines can lead to vaccination failures. Keeping these limitations in mind, the current study explored the antiviral potential of phytocompounds against the Infectious Bronchitis virus using in silico approaches. A total of 1300 phytocompounds derived from fourteen botanicals were screened for their potential ability to inhibit the main protease, papain-like protease or RNA-dependent RNA–polymerase of the virus. The study identified Methyl Rosmarinate, Cianidanol, Royleanone, and 6,7-Dehydroroyleanone as dual-target inhibitors against any two of the key proteins. At the same time, 7-alpha-Acetoxyroyleanone from Rosmarinus officinalis was found to be a multi-target protein inhibitor against all three proteins. The potential multi-target inhibitor was subjected to molecular dynamics simulations to assess the stability of the protein–ligand complexes along with the corresponding reference ligands. The findings specified stable interactions of 7-alpha-Acetoxyroyleanone with the protein targets. The results based on the in silico study indicate that the phytocompounds can potentially inhibit the essential proteins of the Infectious Bronchitis virus; however, in vitro and in vivo studies are required for validation. Nevertheless, this study is a significant step in exploring the use of botanicals in feed to control Infectious Bronchitis infections in poultry.

A multiepitope vaccine candidate against infectious bursal disease virus using immunoinformatics-based reverse vaccinology approach

Infectious bursal disease virus is the causative agent of infectious bursal disease (Gumboro disease), a highly contagious immunosuppressive disease of chicken with a substantial economic impact on small- and large-scale poultry industries worldwide. Currently, live attenuated vaccines are widely used to control the disease in chickens despite their issues with safety (immunosuppression and bursal atrophy) and efficiency (breaking through the maternally-derived antibody titer). To overcome the drawbacks, the current study has, for the first time, attempted to construct a computational model of a multiepitope based vaccine candidate against infectious bursal disease virus, which has the potential to overcome the safety and protection issues found in the existing live-attenuated vaccines. The current study used a reverse vaccinology based immunoinformatics approach to construct the vaccine candidate using major and minor capsid proteins of the virus, VP2 and VP3, respectively. The vaccine construct was composed of four CD8⁺ epitopes, seven CD4⁺ T-cell epitopes, 11 B-cell epitopes and a Cholera Toxin B adjuvant, connected using appropriate flexible peptide linkers. The vaccine construct was evaluated as antigenic with VaxiJen Score of 0.6781, immunogenic with IEDB score of 2.89887 and non-allergenic. The 55.64 kDa construct was further evaluated for its physicochemical characteristics, which revealed that it was stable with an instability index of 16.24, basic with theoretical pI of 9.24, thermostable with aliphatic index of 86.72 and hydrophilic with GRAVY score of -0.256. The docking and molecular dynamics simulation studies of the vaccine construct with Toll-like receptor-3 revealed fair structural interaction (binding affinity of -295.94 kcal/mol) and complex stability. Further, the predicted induction of antibodies and cytokines by the vaccine construct indicated the possible elicitation of the host's immune response against the virus. The work is a significant attempt to develop next-generation vaccines against the infectious bursal disease virus though further experimental studies are required to assess the efficacy and protectivity of the proposed vaccine candidate in vivo.

Fe and Zn stress induced gene expression analysis unraveled mechanisms of mineral homeostasis in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) stress significantly affects fundamental metabolic and physiological processes in plants that results in reduction of plant growth and development. In the present study, common bean variety; Shalimar French Bean-1 (SFB-1) was used as an experimental material. Four different MGRL media i.e. normal MGRL medium (Control), media without Fe (0-Fe), media without Zn (0-Zn) and media with excess Zn (300-Zn) were used for growing seeds of SFB-1 under in vitro condition for three weeks under optimum conditions. Three week old shoot and root tissues were harvested from the plants grown in these four different in vitro conditions and were, subjected to Fe and Zn estimation. Further, extraction of total RNA for differential gene expression of ten candidate genes selected based on our in silico investigation and their classification, phylogeny and expression pattern was unraveled. Expression analysis of three candidate genes (OPT3, NRAMP2 and NRAMP3) in roots revealed possible cross talk among Fe/Zn stress that was further confirmed by observing less accumulation of Fe in roots under both these conditions. However, we observed, higher accumulation of Fe in shoots under 0-Fe condition compared to control that suggests precise sensing for priority based compartmentalization and partitioning leading to higher accumulation of Fe in shoots. Furthermore, the expression analysis of IRT1, FRO1 and Ferritin 1 genes under Fe/Zn stress suggested their role in uptake/transport and signaling of Fe and Zn, whereas the expression of ZIP2, NRAMP1, HA2 and GLP1 genes were highly responsive to Zn in Phaseolus vulgaris. The identified genes highly responsive to Fe and Zn stress condition can be potential candidates for overcoming mineral stress in dicot crop plants.

SNPs in Mammary Gland Epithelial Cells Unraveling Potential Difference in Milk Production Between Jersey and Kashmiri Cattle Using RNA Sequencing

Deep RNA sequencing experiment was employed to detect putative single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in mammary epithelial cells between two diverse cattle breeds (Jersey and Kashmiri) to understand the variations in the coding regions that reflect differences in milk production traits. The low milk-producing Kashmiri cattle are being replaced by crossbreeding practices with Jersey cattle with the aim of improving milk production. However, crossbred animals are prone to infections and various other diseases resulting in unsustainable milk production. In this study, we tend to identify high-impact SNPs from Jersey and Kashmiri cows (utilizing RNA-Seq data) to delineate key pathways mediating milk production traits in both breeds. A total of 607 (442 SNPs and 169 INDELs) and 684 (464 SNPs and 220 INDELs) high-impact variants were found specific to Jersey and Kashmir cattle, respectively. Based on our results, we conclude that in Jersey cattle, genes with high-impact SNPs were enriched in nucleotide excision repair pathway, ABC transporter, and metabolic pathways like glycerolipid metabolism, pyrimidine metabolism, and amino acid synthesis (glycine, serine, and threonine). Whereas, in Kashmiri cattle, the most enriched pathways include endocytosis pathway, innate immunity pathway, antigen processing pathway, insulin resistance pathway, and signaling pathways like TGF beta and AMPK which could be a possible defense mechanism against mammary gland infections. A varied set of SNPs in both breeds, suggests a clear differentiation at the genomic level; further analysis of high-impact SNPs are required to delineate their effect on these pathways.

Analysis of selection signatures reveals important insights into the adaptability of high-altitude Indian sheep breed Changthangi

Changthangi is a high-altitude sheep breed of India that is adapted to cold and hypoxic climate of Himalayas. In the present study, we analysed population structure of Changthangi and contrasted it with selected Indian and European commercial sheep breeds to detect genomic regions under positive selection. The Illumina OvineSNP50v1 genotype data on 292 animals from seven different sheep breeds i.e., Changthangi (n = 29), Garole (n = 26), Deccani (n = 24), Tibetan (n = 37), Rambouillet (n = 102) and Australian Merino (n = 50) was used. European Mouflon (n = 24) was used as an out-group for studying the stratification and phylogenetic lineage. While the principal component analysis (PCA) revealed Changthangi to cluster with Tibetan sheep; TREEMIX and ADMIXTURE results also detected the introgression of lowland Indian sheep inheritance in Changthangi. Changthangi sheep were compared with other breed groups as reference i.e., commercial (Australian Merino and Rambouillet), Indian (Deccani, Garole and Tibetan) and breeds inhabiting plains (Australian Merino, Rambouillet, Deccani and Garole). Genomic comparisons of Changthangi using cross population extended haplotype homozygosity (XP-EHH) showed multiple functional regions present on Ovis aries (Oar) chromosomes 2, 3, 6 and 18 to be under selection in Changthangi sheep. These regions were related with adaptation to climatic and hypoxic stressors, fleece characteristics and functioning of immune and reproductive systems. UCP genes, associated with adaptation to cold and hypoxic conditions, were the main loci under positive selection in Changthangi sheep population. The selection signals in Indian and European commercial sheep breeds were mainly associated with body weight and carcass traits. Furthermore, selection signals found in different comparisons were found to be part of different quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with important traits in different breed classes. The genes present in these regions are suitable candidates for future studies on the genetic mechanisms underlying high-altitude adaptation.

Multivariate quantitative genetic analysis of body weight traits in Corriedale sheep

In the present study, an attempt was made to elucidate the genetic parameters for body weight traits of lambs from Corriedale sheep population at different ages. Data were collected from 6874 lambs born over a span of 49 years from 1969 to 2017. The traits under study included body weight at birth (BW), weaning (WW), 6 months of age (6MW), 9 months of age (9MW) and yearling stage (YW). Data were statistically analyzed using restricted maximum likelihood (REML) algorithm in WOMBAT program. A multi-variate animal model was fitted to the data incorporating season and period of lambing, sex of lamb and litter size as fixed effects. Variance and covariance components were estimated using the animal model after incorporating direct additive genetic effect of animal as random factor. Genetic and phenotypic correlations with corresponding standard errors were also estimated. The heritability estimates for BW, WW, 6MW, 9MW and YW were 0.130 ± 0.023, 0.300 ± 0.029, 0.292 ± 0.030, 0.191 ± 0.025 and 0.169 ± 0.024, respectively. The genetic correlation between different traits under study was high, except between BW and 9MW for which the estimate was moderate. Phenotypic correlation ranged from low to high for different trait combinations. Among different traits under study, only two traits showed moderate heritability i.e. WW and 6MW while heritability of other traits was low. Both these traits showed high correlation with all subsequent traits. Selection programme for Corriedale sheep should be based on WW which is expressed early in life and shall lead to moderate genetic response to selection.

Estimation of (Co)Variance components and genetic parameters of fibre traits in Rambouillet sheep using multi-trait analysis

The present study aimed to estimate the genetic parameters of different fibre traits, viz., greasy fleece weight, staple length, and fibre diameter in Rambouillet sheep population using a multi-trait animal model. Data, spanning over 10 years (1998-2007) and pertaining to fibre traits at first clip, were collected for a total of 4186 Rambouillet sheep maintained at an organized farm. (Co)Variance structure and genetic parameters were estimated using a multi-trait animal model. The genetic analysis of data was performed based on restricted maximum likelihood (REML) procedure using WOMBAT software. The model incorporated sex of lamb (i = 1, 2), year of birth (j = 1-10), season of birth (k = 1-2), and litter size (l = 1-2) as fixed effects while direct additive genetic and maternal genetic effects were included as random effects. The direct additive genetic heritability estimates were 0.120±0.034, 0.136±0.037, and 0.356±0.070 for greasy fleece weight, staple length, and fibre diameter, respectively. The maternal genetic heritability of all fibre traits under study was very low. Additive genetic correlation was positive and low between greasy fleece weight and staple length; and between staple length and fibre diameter. In conclusion, fibre diameter was moderately heritable which implies that selection may lead to moderate improvement in this trait. The results from the present study will help in formulating optimal breeding plans for improvement of fibre traits in Rambouillet sheep.

Retraction : Live birth of a Pashmina goat kid after transfer of handmade cloned embryos

This article released online on March 5, 2019 as advance publication was withdrawn from consideration for publication in Journal of Reproduction and Development at author's request.

Live birth of a Pashmina goat kid after transfer of handmade cloned embryos

The present study aimed to establish a zona free (handmade cloning) embryo production system for Pashmina goat embryos. Abattoir derived oocytes were matured in vitro; after maturation, oocytes were enucleated and fused with somatic cells derived from an adult Pashmina goat tissue. The reconstructs were activated using a calcium ionophore-DMAP procedure. The embryos were distributed into two experimental groups. In Experiment 1, the embryos were cultured in one of the following four culture media (i) G1.G2 media (ii) Modified synthetic oviduct fluid (mSOF) (iii) Research vitro cleave media (RVCL) and (iv) Embryo development media (EDM), and were cultured for 7 days. The cleavage rates in G1.G2, RVCL, and mSOF were higher than those in EDM (86.8, 82.4, 77.3, and 68.8%, respectively). Blastocyst rates were higher in RVCL than those in mSOF, EDM, and G1.G2 (15.0, 10.5, 4.9, and 2.2%, respectively). In experiment 2, the embryos were cultured in five different culture systems: (i) Flat surface (FS), (ii) Well in drop (WID), (iii) Well of well (WOW), (iv) Micro drop, and (v) Hanging drop, for 7 days. The cleavage rates in FS and WID were higher than those in WOW, Micro drop, and Hanging drop (84.3, 81.2, 73.6, 73.5, and 70.3%, respectively). The blastocyst rates were higher in WID than those in WOW, Micro drop, Hanging drop, and FS systems (21.6, 13.7, 11.5, 10.9, and 3.9%, respectively). The embryos produced in experiment 2 were transferred to synchronized recipients. Of the three pregnancies established on day 40, one resulted in the delivery of a healthy Pashmina kid.

Expression kinetics of natural resistance associated macrophage protein (NRAMP) genes in Salmonella Typhimurium-infected chicken

Background

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (Salmonella Typhimurium) is a zoonotic pathogen responsible for severe intestinal pathology in young chickens. Natural resistance-associated macrophage protein (NRAMP) family has been shown to be associated with resistance to intracellular pathogens, including Salmonella Typhimurium. The role of NRAMP proteins in macrophage defence against microbial infection has been ascribed to changes in the metal-ion concentrations inside the bacteria-containing phagosomes. The present study was conducted to investigate tissue-specific (liver, spleen and caecum) expression kinetics of NRAMP gene family (NRAMP1 and NRAMP2) in broilers from day 0 to day 15 after Salmonella Typhimurium challenge concomitant to clinical, blood biochemical and immunological parameters survey.

Results

Clinical symptoms appeared 4 days post-infection (dpi) in infected birds. Symptoms like progressive weakness, anorexia, diarrhoea and lowering of the head were seen in infected birds one-week post-infection. On postmortem examination, liver showed congestion, haemorrhage and necrotic foci on the surface, while as the spleen, lungs and intestines revealed congestion and haemorrhages. Histopathological alterations were principally found in liver comprising of necrosis, reticular endothelial hyperplasia along with mononuclear cell and heterophilic infiltration. Red Blood Cell (RBC) count, Haemoglobin (Hb) and Packed Cell Volume (PCV) decreased significantly (P < 0.05) in blood while heterophil counts increased up to 7 days post-infection. Serum glucose, aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) enzymes concentrations increased significantly throughout the study. A gradual increase of specific humoral IgG response confirmed Salmonella infection. Meanwhile, expression of NRAMP1 and NRAMP2 genes was differentially regulated after infection in tissues such as liver, spleen and caecum known to be the target of Salmonella Typhimurium replication in the chicken.

Conclusion

Thus the specific roles of NRAMP1 and NRAMP2 genes in Salmonella Typhimurium induced disease may be supposed from their differential expression according to tissues and timing after per os infection. However, these roles remain to be analyzed related to the severity of the disease which can be estimated by blood biochemistry and immunological parameters.

Advances in genome editing for improved animal breeding: A review

Since centuries, the traits for production and disease resistance are being targeted while improving the genetic merit of domestic animals, using conventional breeding programs such as inbreeding, outbreeding, or introduction of marker-assisted selection. The arrival of new scientific concepts, such as cloning and genome engineering, has added a new and promising research dimension to the existing animal breeding programs. Development of genome editing technologies such as transcription activator-like effector nuclease, zinc finger nuclease, and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats systems begun a fresh era of genome editing, through which any change in the genome, including specific DNA sequence or indels, can be made with unprecedented precision and specificity. Furthermore, it offers an opportunity of intensification in the frequency of desirable alleles in an animal population through gene-edited individuals more rapidly than conventional breeding. The specific research is evolving swiftly with a focus on improvement of economically important animal species or their traits all of which form an important subject of this review. It also discusses the hurdles to commercialization of these techniques despite several patent applications owing to the ambiguous legal status of genome-editing methods on account of their disputed classification. Nonetheless, barring ethical concerns gene-editing entailing economically important genes offers a tremendous potential for breeding animals with desirable traits.

LncRNAs and immunity: watchdogs for host pathogen interactions

Immune responses combat various infectious agents by inducing inflammatory responses, antimicrobial pathways and adaptive immunity. The polygenic responses to these external stimuli are temporally and coordinately regulated. Specific lncRNAs are induced to modulate innate and adaptive immune responses which can function through various target interactions like RNA-DNA, RNA-RNA, and RNA-protein interaction and hence affect the immunogenic regulation at various stages of gene expression. LncRNA are found to be present in various immune cells like monocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells, neutrophils, T cells and B cells. They have been shown to be involved in many biological processes, including the regulation of the expression of genes, the dosage compensation and genomics imprinting, but the knowledge how lncRNAs are regulated and how they alter cell differentiation/function is still obscure. Further dysregulation of lncRNA has been seen in many diseases, but as yet very less research has been carried out to understand the role of lncRNAs in regulation during host-pathogens interactions. In this review, we summarize the functional developments and mechanism of action of lncRNAs, in immunity and defense of host against pathogens.

Comparison Between Lignocaine Hydrochloride and Ropivacaine Hydrochloride as Lumbosacral Epidural Anaesthetic Agents in Goats Undergoing Laparoscopy Assisted Embryo Transfer

Goats (n=12) undergoing laparoscopy assisted embryo transfer were randomly allotted to two groups (I and II) and injected lignocaine hydrochloride (4mg/kg) or ropivacaine hydrochloride (1mg/kg) at the lumbosacral epidural space. The animals were held with raised hind quarters for the first three minutes following injection. Immediately after induction of regional anaesthesia, they were restrained in dorsal recumbency in the Trendelenburg position in a cradle. Laparoscopy was performed after creating pneumoperitoneum using filtered room air. The mean (± S.E) induction time in animals of group I was significantly shorter (5.33 ± 0.61 min) than those belonging to group II (12.66 ±1.99 min). Complete analgesia developed throughout the hind quarters and abdomen for 30 min and 60 min in group I and II animal’s respectively. Unlike animals of group I, group II goats continued to show moderate analgesia for 180 minutes. The motor activity returned after a lapse of 130.00 ± 12.64 min and 405.00 ± 46.31 min respectively. Occasional vocalization and struggling was noticed in two goats one from each group irrespective of the surgical manipulations during laparoscopy. The rectal temperature and respiration rates showed only non-significant increase, but the heart rate values were significantly higher (P < 0.5) up to 150 min in animals of both the groups when compared to their baseline values. From this study, it was concluded that both anaesthetic agents produced satisfactory regional anaesthesia in goats undergoing laparoscopy. However, considering the very long delay in regaining the hind limb motor activity, the use of ropivacaine may not be recommended for this purpose. Supplementation of sedative/tranquilizer with lumbosacral epidural anaesthesia needs evaluation.

Comparison of slow freezing and vitrification on ovine immature oocytes

BACKGROUND

Immature oocytes are more sensitive to cold injury than mature oocytes.

OBJECTIVE

The study was to evaluate the post thaw normal oocytes, cleavage and blastocyst rates of ovine cumulus oocyte complexes (COC's) using different cryoprotectants by slow freezing and Open pulled straw (OPS) vitrification.

METHODS

In five replicates, abattoir derived COC's were collected and distributed into three groups. In Experiment 1, COC's were cryopreserved by a slow freezing protocol using 10% concentration of ethylene glycol (EG), 10% dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) or 5% EG and 5% DMSO mixture. In Experiment 2 and 3 embryos were cryopreserved by OPS vitrification using either 33% or 40% (EG, DMSO or an equal mixture of EG and DMSO mixture. Normal oocytes post thaw were in vitro matured and parthenogenetically activated.

RESULTS

Although, there was no difference in the number of post thaw normal oocytes between the groups, cleavage and blastocyst rates were higher in 10% slow freezing group than any of the vitrified groups.

CONCLUSION

The study demonstrates better cryopreservation of ovine COC's by controlled slow freezing than OPS vitrification.

In vitro development of goat-sheep and goat-goat zona-free cloned embryos in different culture media

The gradual decline in the genetic diversity of farm animals has threatened their survival and risk of their extinction has increased many fold in the recent past. Endangered species could be rescued using interspecies embryo production. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of three different culture media on the development of Handmade cloned intraspecies (goat-goat) and interspecies (goat-sheep) embryo reconstructs. Research vitro cleave media (RVCL) yielded higher cleavage and morula-blastocyst development in intraspecies and interspecies nuclear transfer groups compared with G1.G2 and modified synthetic oviductal fluid (mSOFaaci). Cleavage frequency of intraspecies cloned embryos in RVCL, mSOFaaci, and G1.G2 did not differ significantly (87.12%, 82.45%, and 92.52%, respectively). However, the morula/blastocyst frequency in RVCL was greater in mSOFaaci and G1.G2 (51.18% vs. 38.28% vs. 36.50%, respectively). Cleavage and morula/blastocyst frequency in interspecies cloned embryos was greater in RVCL than in mSOFaaci and G1.G2 (76.14% and 42.3% vs. 65.9% and 38.3% vs. 58.56% and 33.1%, respectively). Goat oocytes were parthenogenetically activated and cultured in RVCL, mSOFaaci, and G1.G2 and kept as control. Cleavage and morula/blastocyst frequency in this group was greater in RVCL than in mSOFaaci and G1.G2 (89.66% and 65.26% vs. 85.44% and 48.05% vs. 86.58% and 42.06%, respectively). Conclusively, the results suggest that not only can the interspecies embryos of goat be produced using sheep oocytes as donor cytoplast but also the percentages can be improved by using RVCL media for culturing of the embryos.

Novel polymorphisms in the bovine beta-lactoglobulin gene and their effects on beta-lactoglobulin protein concentration in milk

The aim of our study was to detect new polymorphisms in the bovine beta-lactoglobulin (beta-LG) gene with significant effects on beta-LG protein concentration. Genomic DNA samples from 22 proven bulls were screened for polymorphisms in the coding and promoter regions of the beta-LG gene. In total, 50 polymorphisms were detected. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (g.1772G>A and g.3054C>T) lead to amino acid changes and are the causal genetic polymorphisms of beta-LG protein variants A and B. Forty-two polymorphisms were in complete linkage disequilibrium (LD) with beta-LG protein variants A and B. Any of these 42 polymorphisms can be involved in the differential expression of the respective A and B alleles of the beta-LG gene. The eight polymorphisms not in complete LD with beta-LG protein variants A and B and the two polymorphisms causing the amino acid changes were genotyped in a set of 208 cows: 106 animals homozygous for beta-LG protein variant A and 102 animals homozygous for beta-LG protein variant B. Of these eight polymorphisms, six SNPs segregated only within the cows homozygous for beta-LG protein variant A and two SNPs segregated only within the cows homozygous for beta-LG protein variant B. One of the eight polymorphisms had a significant effect on beta-LG protein concentration. This SNP, g.-731G>A, segregated only within the 106 cows homozygous for beta-LG protein variant A. Within these cows, adjusted relative beta-LG protein concentration was reduced by 1.22% (w/w) in animals homozygous g.-731AA compared with animals homozygous g.-731GG.

Genetic variation within and among three Indian breeds of goat using heterologous microsatellite markers

The parameters of genetic variation, genetic distances and time of divergence in three Indian goat breeds were studied using 16 cattle microsatellite markers. The mean number of alleles and mean allele size (bp) per microsatellite marker in goats were 5.37 +/- 0.78 and 143.9 +/- 33.75 bp respectively. The average values of heterozygosity and polymorphism information content were 0.54 +/- 0.2 and 0.48 +/- 0.20, respectively. Five of the eight genetic distance methods were highly correlated, revealing a closer relationship between Jamnapari and Barbari goats. A phylogenetic tree constructed from inter-individual distances revealed that the individuals clustered according to the breed to which they belonged, and the Jamnapari and Barbari goats formed a cluster. The divergence times between Sirohi and Jamnapari, and Sirohi and Barbari were approximately 2000 years, while its value between Barbari and Jamnapari goats was approximately 1370 years.

DNA amplification assay for rapid detection of bovine tubercle bacilli in semen

Tubercle bacilli shed in the semen can be a potential hazard for unlimited number of cows through artificial insemination. We have evaluated the efficacy of a DNA amplification technique by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of tubercle bacilli in fresh and frozen semen using spiked samples. The test was based on insertion sequence IS 1081 and could detect as low as 10-100 bacterial cells per ml of spiked semen. The specificity of the test was 100%. The method was applied to semen samples from known and suspected tuberculous bulls. Each of 20 semen samples (fresh and frozen diluted) from one of the three breeding bulls included in the study was found positive while the remaining 40 samples from the other two bulls failed to generate any detectable signal. PCR products were confirmed with Southern blot hybridization to an alpha 32P labeled-PCR product of the target sequence from the IS 1081 element of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex.