Characterisation of the melanocortin-1 receptor gene in alpaca and identification of possible markers associated with phenotypic variations in colour

2009 ◽  
Vol 49 (8) ◽  
pp. 675 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. L. Feeley ◽  
K. A. Munyard

The aim of this study was to determine if any correlation exists between melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) polymorphisms and skin and fibre colour in alpacas. Primers capable of amplifying the entire alpaca MC1R gene were designed from a comparative alignment of Bos taurus and Mus musculus MC1R gene sequences. The complete MC1R gene of 41 alpacas exhibiting a range of fibre colours, and which were sourced from farms across Australia, was sequenced from PCR products. Twenty-one single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified within MC1R. Two of these polymorphisms (A82G and C901T) have the potential to reduce eumelanin production by disrupting the activity of MC1R. No agreement was observed between fibre colour alone and MC1R genotype in the 41 animals in this study. However, when the animals were assigned to groups based on the presence or absence of eumelanin in their fibre and skin, only animals that had at least one allele with the A82/C901 combination expressed eumelanin. We propose that A82/C901 is the wild-type dominant ‘E’ MC1R allele, while alpacas with either G82/T901 or G82/Y901 are homozygous for the recessive ‘e’ MC1R allele and are therefore unable to produce eumelanin.

2001 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna C. Gustafsson ◽  
James M. H. Kijas ◽  
Anders Alderborn ◽  
Mathias Uhlén ◽  
Leif Andersson ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (9) ◽  
pp. 1318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer L. Juengel ◽  
Michelle C. French ◽  
Anne R. O'Connell ◽  
Sara J. Edwards ◽  
Avijit Haldar ◽  
...  

The aim of this study was to determine if single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the leptin receptor (LEPR) gene associated with delayed onset of puberty are associated with changes in other reproductive traits in adult ewes. The ovulation rate of ewes homozygous for the SNPs was ~15% lower (P < 0.001) than either wild-type or heterozygous ewes. First-service conception rate was also affected, being ~12% lower (P < 0. 01) in ewes homozygous for the LEPR SNPs than their wild-type or heterozygous contemporaries. Partial failure of multiple ovulations was also increased (P < 0.01) in ewes that ovulated three ova that were either heterozygous or homozygous for the mutations. Ewes homozygous for the mutations in LEPR had on average 0.2 fewer lambs at mid-pregnancy and at birth compared with the wild-type or heterozygous ewes (P < 0.01). Thus, mutations in LEPR were strongly associated with poorer reproductive performance in Davisdale ewes, which is likely to be linked to both a reduced number of ova available for fertilisation and an increased number of ewes failing to become pregnant. Increased partial failure of multiple ovulations in ewes with high ovulation rates (i.e. 3 or greater) may also contribute to the poor reproductive performance.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Christine BArtens ◽  
Amanda Gibson ◽  
Graham John Etherington ◽  
Federica di Palma ◽  
Angela Holder ◽  
...  

Recent evidence suggests that several cattle breeds may be more resistant to infection with the zoonotic pathogen Mycobacterium bovis than others. Our data presented here suggests that the response to mycobacterial antigens varies in macrophages generated from Brown Swiss (BS) and Holstein Frisian (HF) cattle, two breeds belonging to the Bos taurus family. Whole genome sequencing of the Brown Swiss genome identified several potential candidate genes, in particular Toll-like Receptor-2 (TLR2) a pattern recognition receptor (PRR) that has previously been described to be involved in mycobacterial recognition. Further investigation revealed single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in TLR2 that were identified between DNA isolated from cells of BS and HF cows. Interestingly, one specific SNP, H326Q, showed a different genotype frequency in two cattle subspecies, Bos taurus and Bos indicus. Cloning of the TLR2 gene and subsequent gene-reporter and chemokine assays revealed that this SNP, present in BS and Bos indicus breeds, resulted in a significantly higher response to mycobacterial antigens as well as tri-acylated lipopeptide ligands in general. Comparing wild-type and H326Q containing TLR2 responses, wild-type bovine TLR2 response showed clear, diminished mycobacterial antigen responses compared to human TLR2, however bovine TLR2 responses containing H326Q were found to be partially recovered compared to human TLR2. The creation of human:bovine TLR2 chimeras increased the response to mycobacterial antigens compared to the full-length bovine TLR2, but significantly reduced the response compared to the full-length human TLR2. Thus, our data, not only present evidence that TLR2 is a major PRR in the mammalian species-specific response to mycobacterial antigens, but furthermore, that there are clear differences between the response seen in different cattle breeds, which may contribute to their enhanced or reduced susceptibility to mycobacterial infection.


2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 37-37
Author(s):  
Andrea N DeCarlo ◽  
Keelee J McCarty ◽  
Sarah K Richey ◽  
Nathan Long ◽  
Scott Pratt

Abstract Detrimental effects to male reproductive physiology have been observed due to changes in prolactin (PRL) serum concentration. Regulation of PRL by dopamine binding to the dopamine type-2 receptor (DRD2) is well defined and associations between male physiology and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the DRD2 gene have been observed. The objective of the study was to evaluate association of a DRD2 SNP to PRL protein expression in bulls. Testis and epididymis were collected from bulls grazing a forage containing or lacking a dopamine agonist at the end of a 126 d study (n = 14). Bovine pituitaries (n = 587) were collected randomly over 3 mo from a local abattoir which processes cull cows and bulls. Sex of pituitaries was verified (n = 259 males) by duplex PCR for amplification of SRY and b-actin followed by Southern blotting of PCR products for selection of male. Prolactin protein expression was assessed in testis, epididymis, and pituitary by western blotting. Expression of PRL protein was below detection range in reproductive tissues but was present in pituitary, therefore experiments continued in pituitary. Restriction fragment length polymorphism genotyping was performed on pituitaries by amplification of the DRD2 SNP region followed by digestion with a Tfil enzyme. Digested of products produced 3,2, or 1 band (AG, AA, GG, respectively). A subset of male pituitaries was blotted by slot blot manifold and PRL protein expression assessed by immunodetection and densitometry analysis normalized to GAPDH expression. Pituitary genotype distribution was 17.4% AA (n = 16), 63% AG (n = 58), and 19.6% GG (n = 18). Prolactin protein expression in the pituitary was similar across genotype (P = 0.23). These findings indicate that the DRD2 SNP has no genotypic effect on PRL protein expression in bovine pituitary.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 235
Author(s):  
Jen-Sheng Pei ◽  
Chao-Chun Chen ◽  
Wen-Shin Chang ◽  
Yun-Chi Wang ◽  
Jaw-Chyun Chen ◽  
...  

The purpose of our study was to investigate whether genetic variations in lncRNA H19 were associated with susceptibility to childhood leukemia. Two hundred and sixty-six childhood leukemia patients and 266 healthy controls were enrolled in Taiwan, and two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs2839698 and rs217727, in H19 were genotyped and analyzed. There was a significant difference in the genotypic distribution of rs2839698 between patients and healthy controls (p = 0.0277). Compared to the wild-type CC genotype, the heterozygous variant CT and homozygous variant TT genotypes were associated with significantly increased risks of childhood leukemia with an adjusted odd ratio (OR) of 1.46 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.08–2.14, p = 0.0429) and 1.94 (95%CI, 1.15–3.31, p = 0.0169), respectively (pfor tread = 0.0277). The difference in allelic frequencies between childhood leukemia patients and controls was also significant (T versus C, adjusted OR = 1.53, 95%CI, 1.13–1.79, p = 0.0077). There were no significant differences in the genotypic and allelic distributions of rs217727 between cases and controls. Interestingly, the average level of H19 rs2839698 was statistically significantly higher for patients with CT and TT genotypes than from those with the CC genotype (p < 0.0001). Our results indicate that H19 SNP rs2839698, but not rs217727, may serve as a novel susceptibility marker for childhood leukemia.


Author(s):  
Oriana Kreutzfeld ◽  
Stephanie A. Rasmussen ◽  
Aarti A. Ramanathan ◽  
Patrick K. Tumwebaze ◽  
Oswald Byaruhanga ◽  
...  

Among novel compounds under recent investigation as potential new antimalarial drugs are three independently developed inhibitors of the Plasmodium falciparum P-type ATPase (PfATP4): KAE609 (cipargamin), PA92, and SJ733. We assessed ex vivo susceptibilities to these compounds of 374 fresh P. falciparum isolates collected in Tororo and Busia districts, Uganda from 2016-2019. Median IC 50 s were 65 nM for SJ733, 9.1 nM for PA92, and 0.5 nM for KAE609. Sequencing of pfatp4 for 218 of these isolates demonstrated many non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms; the most frequent mutations were G1128R (69% of isolates mixed or mutant), Q1081K/R (68%), G223S (25%), N1045K (16%) and D1116G/N/Y (16%). The G223S mutation was associated with decreased susceptibility to SJ733, PA92 and KAE609. The D1116G/N/Y mutations were associated with decreased susceptibility to SJ733, and the presence of mutations at both codons 223 and 1116 was associated with decreased susceptibility to PA92 and SJ733. In all of these cases, absolute differences in susceptibilities of wild type (WT) and mutant parasites were modest. Analysis of clones separated from mixed field isolates consistently identified mutant clones as less susceptible than WT. Analysis of isolates from other sites demonstrated presence of the G223S and D1116G/N/Y mutations across Uganda. Our results indicate that malaria parasites circulating in Uganda have a number of polymorphisms in PfATP4 and that modestly decreased susceptibility to PfATP4 inhibitors is associated with some mutations now present in Ugandan parasites.


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