scholarly journals Identification of a BTV-Strain-Specific Single Gene That Increases Culicoides Vector Infection Rate

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1781
Author(s):  
Honorata M. Ropiak ◽  
Simon King ◽  
Marc Guimerà Busquets ◽  
Kerry Newbrook ◽  
Gillian D. Pullinger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infection Rate ◽  
Bluetongue Virus ◽  
Genetic Basis ◽  
Single Gene ◽  
Field Strain ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Amino Acid Substitutions ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Culicoides Vectors ◽  
Virus Strains

Since the 2000s, the distribution of bluetongue virus (BTV) has changed, leading to numerous epidemics and economic losses in Europe. Previously, we found a BTV-4 field strain with a higher infection rate of a Culicoides vector than a BTV-1 field strain has. We reverse-engineered parental BTV-1 and BTV-4 strains and created BTV-1/BTV-4 reassortants to elucidate the influence of individual BTV segments on BTV replication in both C. sonorensis midges and in KC cells. Substitution of segment 2 (Seg-2) with Seg-2 from the rBTV-4 significantly increased vector infection rate in reassortant BTV-14S2 (30.4%) in comparison to reverse-engineered rBTV-1 (1.0%). Replacement of Seg-2, Seg-6 and Seg-7 with those from rBTV-1 in reassortant BTV-41S2S6S7 (2.9%) decreased vector infection rate in comparison to rBTV-4 (30.2%). However, triple-reassorted BTV-14S2S6S7 only replicated to comparatively low levels (3.0%), despite containing Seg-2, Seg-6 and Seg-7 from rBTV-4, indicating that vector infection rate is influenced by interactions of multiple segments and/or host-mediated amino acid substitutions within segments. Overall, these results demonstrated that we could utilize reverse-engineered viruses to identify the genetic basis influencing BTV replication within Culicoides vectors. However, BTV replication dynamics in KC cells were not suitable for predicting the replication ability of these virus strains in Culicoides midges.

scholarly journals GENETIC CONTROL OF QUANTITATIVE VARIATION IN SELF-INCOMPATIBILITY PROTEINS DETECTED BY IMMUNODIFFUSION

Genetics ◽  
1974 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-50
Author(s):  
M E Nasrallah
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Control ◽  
Genetic Basis ◽  
Seed Set ◽  
Single Gene ◽  
Inbred Lines ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Incompatibility ◽  
Dosage Effects ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
S Proteins

ABSTRACT Single radial immunodiffusion was used to study the self-incompatibility (S) proteins present in stigmas of two inbred lines of Brassica oleracea: a self-incompatible line and a self-compatible mutant derived from it. The genetic basis of observed quantitative differences in S proteins between the two inbreds was shown to be determined by a single gene with dosage effects. Self-pollination of individual plants with high, intermediate and low levels of S protein in the stigmas, respectively, resulted in low, intermediate and high seed set.

PSVIII-5 Genetic parameters of thrombin as a proxy for horn fly abundance in beef cattle

2021 ◽  
Vol 99 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 239-239
Author(s):  
Ashley S Ling ◽  
Taylor Krause ◽  
Amanda Warner ◽  
Jason Duggin ◽  
Bradley Heins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Genetic Basis ◽  
Threshold Model ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Small Data ◽  
Horn Fly ◽  
Improvement Programs ◽  
Highest Posterior Density

Abstract Horn flies (Haematobia irritans) are a major nuisance to cattle, especially in warm, humid regions, and are estimated to cause economic losses in excess of $1 billion annually to the U.S. beef cattle industry. Variation in horn fly tolerance has been reported within and across breeds, and heritability estimates ranging between 10 and 80% show a clear genetic basis. However, collecting fly abundance phenotypes is costly and logistically demanding, which precludes large-scale implementation. Consequently, finding correlated phenotypes and endo-phenotypes that are heritable and relatively easy to measure would facilitate implementation of horn fly tolerance genetic improvement programs. Thrombin (TH), a blood coagulation precursor, has a reported association with horn fly count variation within and across cattle breeds. In this study, the genetic basis of thrombin in beef cattle was investigated. Blood samples and horn fly count were collected on 360 cows and heifers twice during the summer of 2019 (June and August). Due to uncertainty associated with assessment of horn fly abundance and thrombin and the fact that economic losses occur only when fly abundance exceeds a certain threshold, thrombin was categorized into 4 classes (1=TH > 500 ng/ml; 2=250< TH< 500 ng/ml; 3=100< TH< 250 ng/ml; and 4=TH< 100 ng/ml). The trait was analyzed using linear (continuous) and threshold (discrete) mixed models. Both models included farm, pregnancy status, and cow age as fixed effects and additive and permanent environment random effects. The pedigree included 642 animals. Estimates of heritability were 0.24 and 0.29 using linear and threshold models, respectively. Estimates of repeatability were slightly higher using the threshold model (0.21 vs 0.19). Despite the small data size, all estimates were non-zero based on their respective highest posterior density intervals. These results indicate reasonable genetic variation for thrombin that could be harnessed for improvement of horn fly tolerance in cattle.

Reaching Future Scientists, Consumers, & Citizens

2014 ◽  
Vol 76 (6) ◽  
pp. 379-383 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa A. Hicks ◽  
Rebecca J. Cline ◽  
Angela M. Trepanier
Keyword(s):  
Personalized Medicine ◽  
Genetic Basis ◽  
Genetic Disorders ◽  
Single Gene ◽  
Personal Health ◽  
Adult Onset ◽  
Biology Textbooks ◽  
Multifactorial Diseases ◽  
Single Gene Disorders

An understanding of how genomics information, including information about risk for common, multifactorial disease, can be used to promote personal health (personalized medicine) is becoming increasingly important for the American public. We undertook a quantitative content analysis of commonly used high school textbooks to assess how frequently the genetic basis of common multifactorial diseases was discussed compared with the “classic” chromosomal–single gene disorders historically used to teach the concepts of genetics and heredity. We also analyzed the types of conditions or traits that were discussed. We identified 3957 sentences across 11 textbooks that addressed multifactorial and “classic” genetic disorders. “Classic” gene disorders were discussed relatively more frequently than multifactorial diseases, as was their genetic basis, even after we enriched the sample to include five adult-onset conditions common in the general population. Discussions of the genetic or hereditary components of multifactorial diseases were limited, as were discussions of the environmental components of these conditions. Adult-onset multifactorial diseases are far more common in the population than chromosomal or single-gene disorders; many are potentially preventable or modifiable. As such, they are targets for personalized medical approaches. The limited discussion in biology textbooks of the genetic basis of multifactorial conditions and the role of environment in modifying genetic risk may limit the public’s understanding and use of personalized medicine.

Experimental infection of sheep, goats and cattle with a bluetongue virus serotype 4 field strain from Bulgaria, 2014

2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. e243-e250 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Schulz ◽  
C. Sailleau ◽  
E. Bréard ◽  
J. Flannery ◽  
C. Viarouge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Infection ◽  
Bluetongue Virus ◽  
Field Strain ◽  
Virus Serotype

scholarly journals Frequency of benzimidazole resistance inHaemonchus contortus populations isolated from buffalo, goat and sheep herds

2013 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 548-553 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronaldo Luiz Nunes ◽  
Livia Loiola dos Santos ◽  
Eduardo Bastianetto ◽  
Denise Aparecida Andrade de Oliveira ◽  
Bruno Santos Alves Figueiredo Brasil
Keyword(s):  
Haemonchus Contortus ◽  
Significant Variation ◽  
Genetic Basis ◽  
Anthelmintic Resistance ◽  
Allelic Frequency ◽  
Molecular Diagnostic ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Ruminant Species ◽  
Benzimidazole Resistance

Anthelmintic resistance is an increasing problem that threatens livestock production worldwide. Understanding of the genetic basis of benzimidazole resistance recently allowed the development of promising molecular diagnostic tools. In this study, isolates of Haemonchus contortus obtained from goats, sheep and buffaloes raised in Brazil were screened for presence of the polymorphism Phe200Tyr in the β-tubulin 1 gene, which confers resistance to benzimidazole. The allelic frequency of the mutation conferring resistance ranged from 7% to 43%, and indicated that resistance to benzimidazole could be found in nematodes isolated from all the ruminant species surveyed. Although significant variation in the frequency of the F200Y mutation was observed between different herds or host species, no significant variation could be found in populations isolated from animals within the same herd. These findings suggest that screening of samples from a few animals has the potential to provide information about the benzimidazole resistance status of the entire herd, which would enable a considerable reduction in the costs of diagnosis for the producer. Molecular diagnosis has practical advantages, since it can guide the choice of anthelmintic drug that will be used, before its application in the herd, thus reducing the economic losses driven by anthelmintic resistance.

scholarly journals Genetic Diversity of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus Infection in Goats in Southwestern China

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Deng ◽  
Silu Wang ◽  
Runxia Liu ◽  
Guiying Hao
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Infection Rate ◽  
Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus ◽  
Southwestern China ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Bovine Viral Diarrhea ◽  
Border Disease Virus ◽  
Diarrhea Virus ◽  
Viral Diarrhea ◽  
Viral Diarrhea Virus

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) affects cows, pigs, sheep, goats, and other ruminants, as well as some wild animals. BVDV causes considerable economic losses every year and many countries have developed programs aimed at the eradication of this disease. The genetic diversity of BVDV in diseased goats has never been described in southwestern China. Thus, in this study, we applied antigen-capture ELISA and RT-PCR to survey the infection rate of BVDV in diseased goats in this region. Our results demonstrated that the average BVDV infection rate in goats was 17.51%, with all positive samples indicating infection by BVDV-1 and not BVDV-2, BVDV-3, or Border disease virus. The molecular characteristics of the 5′-untranslated region (5′-UTR) of BVDV-1 were recognized as belonging predominantly to the BVDV-1a, 1b, 1c, 1m, and 1p subtypes. BVDV-1b and 1m were the most abundant subtypes identified in this region, similar to the BVDV epidemics in cattle in other regions of China. This is the first study that describes the genetic characterization of BVDV in sick goats from southwestern China and is important for future studies and control programs.

scholarly journals Vector Competence of Italian Populations of Culicoides for Some Bluetongue Virus Strains Responsible for Recent Northern African and European Outbreaks

Viruses ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 941 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentina Federici ◽  
Maria Goffredo ◽  
Giuseppe Mancini ◽  
Michela Quaglia ◽  
Adriana Santilli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bluetongue Virus ◽  
Vector Competence ◽  
Oral Infection ◽  
Balearic Islands ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Vector Species ◽  
Vaccination Programs ◽  
Culicoides Obsoletus ◽  
Culicoides Imicola ◽  
Virus Strains

The distribution of Bluetongue virus (BTV) in Europe can be represented by two distinct and interconnected epidemiological systems (episystems), each characterized by different ecological characteristics and vector species. This study investigated the vector competence of Italian populations of Culicoides imicola and Culicoides obsoletus/scoticus to some representative BTV strains after artificial oral infection. The BTV strains were selected according to their ability to spread to one or both episystems and included BTV-4 ITA, responsible of the recent Italian and French BTV-4 outbreaks; the BTV-2 strain which caused the first BTV incursion in Italy, Corsica, and Balearic Islands; BTV-4 MOR, responsible for the epidemic in Morocco; and BTV-8, the strain which spread through Europe between 2006 and 2008. Blood-soaked cotton pledgets and Hemotek membrane feeder using Parafilm® membrane were used to artificially feed midges. For each population/strain, recovery rates (positive/tested heads) were evaluated using serogroup- and serotype-specific RT-PCR. The trial demonstrated that, except for the Abruzzo population of C. obsoletus/C. scoticus, which was refractory to BTV-4 MOR infection, all the investigated Culicoides populations are susceptible to the selected BTV strains and that, if prompt vaccination programs and restriction measures had not been implemented, BTV-2 and BTV-4 MOR could have spread all over Europe.

scholarly journals Epidemiological and Histopathological Investigation of Sarcocystis spp. in Slaughtered Dromedary Camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Egypt

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 162
Author(s):  
Ahmed Gareh ◽  
Mahmoud Soliman ◽  
Amira A. Saleh ◽  
Fatma A. El-Gohary ◽  
Heba M. M. El-Sherbiny ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Cardiac Muscle ◽  
Infection Rate ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Intermediate Hosts ◽  
Worldwide Distribution ◽  
Sarcocystis Spp ◽  
Wide Range

Sarcocystosis is considered one of the major parasitic diseases with a worldwide distribution. It is caused by the obligatory intracellular protozoan parasites of the genus Sarcocystis. Besides its public health issues, sarcocystosis results in significant economic losses due to its impact on productivity and milk yield. A wide range of final and intermediate hosts have been identified, including mammals, birds, and reptiles; however, few studies have investigated the contribution of camels to maintaining the epidemiological foci of the disease in countries such as Egypt. The present study was conducted to grossly and histopathologically identify the prevalence rate of Sarcocystis spp. in camels (N = 100) from the Aswan Governorate, Egypt. Furthermore, the major risk factors related to the development of sarcocystosis in camels were investigated. Samples from the diaphragm, cardiac muscle, esophagus, and testes of the slaughtered camels were collected. Interestingly, Sarcocystis was detected in 75% of the examined camels. Following the studied variable factors, camels aged 5 years or more were found to be at higher risk, with an infection rate of 87.7% (57 of 65) than those younger than 5 years. The infection rate was 81.4% (57 of 70) in males and 60% (18 of 30) in females. The esophagus was the most affected organ (49%), followed by the diaphragm (26%) and cardiac muscle (17%), whereas none of the testes samples were affected. Taken together, the present study demonstrates the high prevalence of Sarcocystis in the examined camels and suggests the importance of these animals in preserving the epidemiological foci of sarcocystosis in Egypt. Future research should map the circulating strains in Egypt and aim to raise public health awareness about the importance of sarcocystosis and other related zoonotic diseases.

scholarly journals Global emergence and evolutionary dynamics of bluetongue virus

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Moh A. Alkhamis ◽  
Cecilia Aguilar-Vega ◽  
Nicholas M. Fountain-Jones ◽  
Kai Lin ◽  
Andres M. Perez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bluetongue Virus ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Transmission Dynamics ◽  
Intervention Programs ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Molecular Surveillance ◽  
China And India ◽  
Evolutionary Epidemiology ◽  
Livestock Trade

AbstractBluetongue virus (BTV) epidemics are responsible for worldwide economic losses of up to US$ 3 billion. Understanding the global evolutionary epidemiology of BTV is critical in designing intervention programs. Here we employed phylodynamic models to quantify the evolutionary characteristics, spatiotemporal origins, and multi-host transmission dynamics of BTV across the globe. We inferred that goats are the ancestral hosts for BTV but are less likely to be important for cross-species transmission, sheep and cattle continue to be important for the transmission and maintenance of infection between other species. Our models pointed to China and India, countries with the highest population of goats, as the likely ancestral country for BTV emergence and dispersal worldwide over 1000 years ago. However, the increased diversification and dispersal of BTV coincided with the initiation of transcontinental livestock trade after the 1850s. Our analysis uncovered important epidemiological aspects of BTV that may guide future molecular surveillance of BTV.

scholarly journals Agrobacterium tumefaciens-Mediated Transformation ofValsa mali: An Efficient Tool for Random Insertion Mutagenesis

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caixia Wang ◽  
Xiangnan Guan ◽  
Hanyan Wang ◽  
Guifang Li ◽  
Xiangli Dong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Gene ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Insertion Mutagenesis ◽  
Transformation System ◽  
Canker Disease ◽  
Germination Ability ◽  
First Time ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Random Insertion ◽  
Valsa Mali

Valsa maliis a causal agent of apple and pear trees canker disease, which is a destructive disease that causes serious economic losses in eastern Asia, especially in China. The lack of an efficient transformation system forValsa maliretards its investigation, which poses difficulties to control the disease. In this research, a transformation system for this pathogen was established for the first time usingA. tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT), with the optimal transformation conditions as follows: 106/mL conidia suspension, cocultivation temperature 22°C, cocultivation time 72 hours, and 200 μM acetosyringone (AS) in the inductive medium. The average transformation efficiency was 1015.00 ± 37.35 transformants per 106recipient conidia. Thirty transformants were randomly selected for further confirmation and the results showed the presence of T-DNA in all hygromycin B resistant transformants and also revealed random and single gene integration with genetic stability. Compared with wild-type strain, those transformants exhibited various differences in morphology, conidia production, and conidia germination ability. In addition, pathogenicity assays revealed that 14 transformants had mitigated pathogenicity, while one had enhanced infection ability. The results suggest that ATMT ofV. maliis a useful tool to gain novel insight into this economically important pathogen at molecular levels.

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