This study compared: (1) Freund's complete adjuvant and CpG oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) 2006 in water-in-oil emulsion as adjuvants; and (2) increasing doses of a recombinant ovalbumin-LHRH (ova-LHRH) fusion protein as an antigen for a contraceptive vaccine. Treatment groups (n = 8 heifers/group) were: one untreated control group; five groups receiving CpG ODN with different doses of ova-LHRH (1.5; 2.3; 3.4; 5.1; and 7.6 mg); and one group receiving 3.4 mg ova-LHRH in Freund's. Heifers were immunized at weeks 0 and 14. All vaccine treatments caused gonadal regression and estrus suppression. CpG ODN is a suitable replacement for Freund's for LHRH immunization.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the immunosterilization action of the anti-luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) vaccine, composed with ovalbumin-LHRH-7 and thioredoxin-LHRH-7, in Nelore-cross bulls. Twenty-six 2-year old bulls were randomly assigned in two groups of 13 animals each. The animals of group I received a primary and two booster injections of the vaccine on days 0, 141, and 287 of the experiment. In group II, the control group, the bulls did not receive any type of treatment. Scrotal circumference was measured in the beginning of the experiment and at slaughter, after 741 days. A testicular sample was collected at slaughter and processed for histological evaluation. The scrotal circumference in the immunized group was smaller, 22±5.98 cm, compared to the one of the control group (35.6±2.4 cm), at slaughter. Histological analyses of the testis showed testicular degeneration and absence of sperms in 85% of the animals in the treated group, and a reduced number of sperms in the other 15%, in comparison to the control group. The vaccine anti-LHRH with protein fusion is effective in immune castration of bulls and should be considered as an alternative tool for extensive livestock production in Brazil.

The purpose of this study was to identify loci associated with Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Map) infection status in US Holsteins using the Illumina BovineSNP50 BeadChip whole genome single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assay. Two hundred forty-five cows from dairies in New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont enrolled in longitudinal herd studies between January 1999 and November 2007 were assessed for the presence of Map in both faecal and tissue samples. An animal was considered tissue infected if any sample contained at least one colony forming unit of Map per gram of tissue (CFU/g) and the same definition was employed for faecal samples. Each animal was genotyped with the Illumina BovineSNP50 BeadChip and after quality assurance filtering, 218 animals and 45 683 SNPs remained. We sought to identify loci associated with four different case/control classifications: presence of Map in the tissue, presence of Map in faeces, presence of Map in both tissue and faeces and presence of Map in tissue but not faeces. A case–control genome wide association study was conducted to test the four different classifications of Map infection status (cases) when compared with a Map-negative control group (control). Regions on chromosomes 1, 5, 7, 8, 16, 21 and 23 were identified with moderate significance (P < 5 × 10−5). Two regions, one on chromosome 3 (near EDN2) and another on chromosome 9 (no positional gene candidates), were identified with a high level of association to the presence of Map in tissue and both tissue and faeces respectively (P < 5 × 10−7, genome-wide Bonferonni P < 0.05).

The purpose of this study was to identify loci associated with Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Map) infection status in US Holsteins using the Illumina BovineSNP50 BeadChip whole genome single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assay. Two hundred forty-five cows from dairies in New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont enrolled in longitudinal herd studies between January 1999 and November 2007 were assessed for the presence of Map in both faecal and tissue samples. An animal was considered tissue infected if any sample contained at least one colony forming unit of Map per gram of tissue (CFU/g) and the same definition was employed for faecal samples. Each animal was genotyped with the Illumina BovineSNP50 BeadChip and after quality assurance filtering, 218 animals and 45 683 SNPs remained. We sought to identify loci associated with four different case/control classifications: presence of Map in the tissue, presence of Map in faeces, presence of Map in both tissue and faeces and presence of Map in tissue but not faeces. A case–control genome wide association study was conducted to test the four different classifications of Map infection status (cases) when compared with a Map-negative control group (control). Regions on chromosomes 1, 5, 7, 8, 16, 21 and 23 were identified with moderate significance (P < 5 × 10−5). Two regions, one on chromosome 3 (near EDN2) and another on chromosome 9 (no positional gene candidates), were identified with a high level of association to the presence of Map in tissue and both tissue and faeces respectively (P < 5 × 10−7, genome-wide Bonferonni P < 0.05).

Thyroid hormones play key roles in cellular growth, development and metabolism. Although there is a strong genetic influence on thyroid hormone levels, the genes involved are widely unknown. The levels of circulating thyroid hormones are tightly regulated by thyrotropin (TSH), which also represents the most important diagnostic marker for thyroid function. Therefore, in order to identify genetic loci associated with TSH levels, we performed a discovery meta-analysis of two genome-wide association studies including two cohorts from Germany, KORA (n 5 1287) and SHIP (n 5 2449), resulting in a total sample size of 3736. Four genetic loci at 5q13.3, 1p36, 16q23 and 4q31 were associated with serum TSH levels. The lead singlenucleotide polymorphisms of these four loci were located within PDE8B encoding phosphodiesterase 8B, upstream of CAPZB that encodes the b-subunit of the barbed-end F-actin-binding protein, in a former 'gene desert' that was recently demonstrated to encode a functional gene (LOC440389) associated with thyroid volume, and upstream of NR3C2 encoding the mineralocorticoid receptor. The latter association for the first time suggests the modulation of thyroid function by mineral corticoids. All four loci were replicated in three additional cohorts: the HUNT study from Norway (n 5 1487) and the two German studies CARLA (CARLA, n 5 1357) and SHIP-TREND (n 5 883). Together, these four quantitative trait loci accounted for ∼3.3% of the variance in TSH serum levels. These results contribute to our understanding of genetic factors and physiological mechanisms mediating thyroid function.

Johne’s disease, caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Map), is a fatal disease in cattle. The objective of this study was to identify loci associated with tolerance in cows infected with Map. Tolerance was defined as a cow’s fitness at a given level of Map infection intensity. Fitness was measured by Map faecal cultures, and Map infection intensity was measured by culturing four gut tissues. The quantitative phenotype of tolerance was defined by numerical indexes of cultures of peak (peak tolerance, PT) and average (average tolerance, AT) faecal and tissue Map from 245 Holstein cows. The categorical phenotype was defined as: ≥100 cfu Map tissue infection, and faecal shedding ≥75 cfu (intolerant) or <10 cfu (tolerant cows). In 94 cows, Map was identified in ≥1 tissue, including 44 cows with ≥100 Map tissue cfu and 36 with ≥1 faecal cfu. A genome-wide association analysis was performed after filtering, leaving genotypes for 45 789 SNPs in 90 animals for the quantitative phenotype and 16 cases and 25 controls for the categorical analysis of tolerance. rs41748405:A>C (BTA15) was associated with PT (P = 1.12 × 10−7) and AT (P = 2.17 × 10−6). Associations were identified with PT and adjacent SNPs ss61512613:A>G and ss61530518:A>G (BTA6) (P < 3.0 × 10−5), and with AT for ss61469568:A>G (BTA 2) (P = 3.3 × 10−5) and ss86284768:A>G (BTA1) (P = 3.31 × 10−5). For the categorical phenotype, an association was found with ss8632653:A>G (BTA6) (P < 5.0 × 10−5). This is the first study to identify loci associated with tolerance to Johne’s disease.

Genetic selection for animals resistant or tolerant to a disease might yield new opportunities to improve profitability of the animal industry. Selection for animals that are able to defend themselves against pathogenic infection or animals that can tolerate infection might result in healthier and more profitable animals.

ABSTRACT Background: Johne's disease is an incurable wasting condition that affects ruminant and non-ruminant animals. Each year, Johne's is responsible for losses in the billions of dollars in the United States cattle industry alone. Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) is the microorganism responsible for Johne's disease. MAP can spread very fast among animals, and this patogen has been isolated across the world and in several different animal species including humans.

ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to identify loci linked with bovine respiratory disease (BRD) and subsequently to determine if these same loci were associated with bovine viral diarrhea virus persistent infection (BVD-PI) in affected calves or their dams. A genomewide linkage study using 312 microsatellites was conducted to identify loci linked with BRD in a

Johne's disease is an incurable illness of ruminants, caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Map). Once an animal is exposed to Map it can become infected or resist infection. Susceptible animals may develop Johne's disease with different severity levels or exhibit different levels of tolerance. Selection of animals that are resistant or tolerant to Johne's disease would reduce economic losses and reduce disease prevalence.

Phenotypic variation present in a population arises due to genotypic and environmental effects, and the magnitude of phenotypic variability differs under different environmental conditions, therefore, the purpose of this study was to objectively describe the linear type traits of extensively managed mature indigenous goats of Southern Nigeria and to predict body weight from their orthogonal shape characters using principal component analysis. Body weight and four body measurements namely, height at withers, neck length, body length and heart girth were measured in 265 randomly selected West African Dwarf (WAD) and Red Sokoto (RS) goats of both sexes. RS goats had significantly (P < 0.05) higher morphological traits compared to their WAD counterparts. Sexual dimorphism was observed in all the traits with higher values recorded for males. Phenotypic correlations among body weight and biometric traits were positive and highly significant (r = 0.76-0.91 versus 0.82-0.97 and 0.66-0.94 versus 0.83-0.91 for WAD and RS female and male goats, respectively). In the varimax rotated principal component factor analysis, two factors were extracted for each sex of the two breeds, although with varying degrees of factor loadings. The principal component based regression models, which are preferable for selecting animals for optimal balance, accounted for 89.00 and 96.00% as well as 81.00 and 91.00% of the variation in body weight of female and male WAD and RS goats, respectively. The information obtained could be useful in designing appropriate management, selection and breeding programmes for utilization of goat genetic resources.

Variation in haematological parameters of Nigerian native chickens was studied using 60 clinically normal frizzle-feathered, naked-neck, and normal-feathered native chickens. These included red blood cell count, haemoglobin, packed cell volume, white blood cell count, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, serum glucose, urea, cholesterol, albumin, globulin and creatinine. Normal-feathered birds had higher (p<0.05) mean values compared to frizzled and native neck genotypes except for albumin, red blood and white blood cells, and mean cell haemoglobin concentration. Males generally had higher mean values than their female counterparts across all genotypes. Correlation coefficients among the parameters were significant (p<0.001) with r values ranging from 0.26 between red blood cell and mean corpuscular haemoglobin to 0.92 between red blood cell and cholesterol. Sufficient genetic variation therefore exists for haematological parameters among Nigerian native chickens that may represent indicator traits for further study. However, the application of molecular tools will provide better understanding and application of these differences.

The tenascin-XB (TNXB) gene has antiadhesive effects, functions in matrix maturation in connective tissues, and localizes to the major histocompatibility complex class III region. We hypothesized that it may influence adaptive physiological response through an effect on blood vessel function. We identified a novel g.1324 A?G polymorphism at a TaqI recognition site in a 454 bp fragment of ovine TNXB and genotyped it in 150 Nigerian sheep using PCR-RFLP. The missense Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (mutation changes glutamic acid (GAA) to glycine (GGA). Among SNP genotypes, significant differences (P \ 0.05) were observed in body weight and fore cannon bone length. Interaction effects of breed, SNP genotype, and geographic location had a significant effect (P \ 0.05) on chest girth. The SNP genotype was significantly (P \ 0.05) associated with physiological traits of pulse rate and skin temperature. The observed effect of this novel polymorphism may be mediated through its role in connective tissue biology, requiring further association and functional studies.

The DQB1 locus is located in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II region and involved in immune response. We identified 20 polymorphic sites in a 228 bp fragment of exon 2, one of the most critical regions of the MHC DQB1 gene, in 60 Nigerian goats. Four sites are located in the peptide binding region, and 10 amino acid substitutions are peculiar to Nigerian goats, compared with published sequences. A significantly higher ratio of nonsynonymous/synonymous substitutions (d N /d S ) suggests that allelic sequence evolution is driven by balancing selection (P \ 0.01). In silico functional analysis using PANTHER predicted that substitution P56R, with a subPSEC score of -4.00629 (P deleterious = 0.73229), is harmful to protein function. The phylogenetic tree from consensus sequences placed the two northern breeds closer to each other than either was to the southern goats. This first report of sequence diversity at the DQB1 locus for any African goat breed may be useful in the search for disease-resistant genotypes.

Trypanosomosis remains a major challenge to livestock production in much of tropical Sub-Saharan Africa, while diagnosis and treatment still depend on inefficient parasitological techniques. Endemic infections depend on animal reservoirs with subclinical parasitemia. We report molecular diagnosis of subclinical Trypanosoma vivax (T. vivax) infection using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the first time in Nigerian goats and associate parasite presence with gross physiological traits and serum metabolites in extensively managed Nigerian goats. PCR was used to amplify a 400 bp DNA fragment of the parasite genome in 205 goats across three geographical zones of the country. Results showed a high subclinical infection rate (SCIR) of 71.7% in the total goats examined. Overall SCIRs of 71%, 75.9% and 55.6% were recorded in West African Dwarf, Red Sokoto and Sahel goats respectively, while geographical SCIRs were 71.2% (Southwest), 75% (Northwest) and 70% (Northeast). T. vivax presence had significant (P < 0.05) effect on respiratory rate and is associated with higher creatinine levels in sera. Logistic regression analyses with Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit showed that respiratory rate is the most important predictive trait for the presence of T. vivax infection (P < 0.05). Goats appear to be a viable reservoir for T. vivax infection of other livestock. Molecular diagnosis of subclinical trypanosomosis using PCR could be useful for large scale epidemiological studies, early diagnosis of subclinical infection and treatment of the disease in extensively managed tropical goats.