Czech Journal of Animal Science, 2019 (vol. 64), issue 7

The haemoglobin subunits alpha and beta: Old and new genetic variants in the Italian Mediterranean buffaloOriginal Paper

Rosario Rullo, Aldo Di Luccia, Elena Ciani, Elisa Pieragostini

Czech J. Anim. Sci., 2019, 64(7):279-290 | DOI: 10.17221/14/2018-CJAS  

Haemoglobin (HB), the most widely distributed respiratory pigment in the animal kingdom, is among the best characterized oxygen-binding proteins, both at functional and molecular level. However, very little information is available about the genomic features of HB in river buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), even though there are reports in literature confirming the presence of interesting polymorphisms at the protein level in Mediterranean buffalo. We hence address the characterization of exonic as well as intronic nucleotide polymorphism in the haemoglobin subunit alpha and beta in a set of nine Italian Mediterranean buffaloes exhibiting different...

Safety evaluation of myostatin-edited Meishan pigs by whole genome resequencing analysesOriginal Paper

Shanshan Xie, Lili Qian, Chunbo Cai, Shengwang Jiang, Gaojun Xiao, Ting Gao, Xiang Li, Wentao Cui

Czech J. Anim. Sci., 2019, 64(7):291-299 | DOI: 10.17221/7/2018-CJAS  

Genome editing technology can make specifically target genomic modifications, resulting in site specific DNA insertion, deletion or replacement in the genome of an organism. We have recently produced genetically engineered (GE) Meishan pigs containing a ZFN-edited myostatin (MSTN) loss-of-function mutation that leads to a clear "double muscle" phenotype as observed for Belgian cattle. In this study, whole genome resequencing was used as an approach to evaluate the safety risk, if any, associated with the introduction of a ZFN-edited myostatin (MSTN) loss-of-function mutation in a local pig breed, the Meishan pigs....

Milk electrical conductivity in Manchega ewes: Variation throughout milking and relation with mammary gland health statusOriginal Paper

Amparo Roca, Gema Romero, Manuel Alejandro, Raquel Muelas, José Ramón Díaz

Czech J. Anim. Sci., 2019, 64(7):300-308 | DOI: 10.17221/48/2019-CJAS  

The aim of this work was to study the effect of milking fraction and mammary gland health status on the electrical conductivity (EC) of milk from Manchega ewes, considering also the lactation number. To this end, we also studied the relationship of EC with milk macrocomposition, and the relation existing between EC and somatic cell count (SCC). Finally, the use of EC thresholds as a mastitis detection method (sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV)) was assessed in each of the three fractions: first streams (F1), machine milk (F2) and stripping milk (F3). Milking fraction, mammary gland health status and lactation...

Estimation of inbreeding effect on conception in Czech HolsteinOriginal Paper

Michala Hofmannová, Josef Přibyl, Emil Krupa, Petr Pešek

Czech J. Anim. Sci., 2019, 64(7):309-316 | DOI: 10.17221/154/2018-CJAS  

The influence of calculated inbreeding coefficients on the conception of heifers and cows was analysed by a two-trait binary model for conceived/not conceived after each insemination on 677 234 Czech Holstein cows and heifers with 3 248 299 insemination records as the covariable in a statistical model. The data between 1996 and 2014 were analysed. Various effects and their statistical influence on traits were tested by a generalized linear model. Consequently, genetic parameters were estimated by the Gibbs sampling method and used in predicting breeding values using the best linear unbiased prediction by animal model (BLUP-AM). The mean for the conception...

Effect of early pregnancy on the expression of progesterone receptor and progesterone-induced blocking factor 1 in ovine liverOriginal Paper

Leying Zhang, Chen Zhuang, Zimo Zhao, Ning Li, Jiachen Bai, Ling Yang

Czech J. Anim. Sci., 2019, 64(7):317-323 | DOI: 10.17221/21/2019-CJAS  

Liver plays important roles in the innate and adaptive immunity, and contributes to the maternal immune adjustments during pregnancy. Progesterone (P4) has key effects on immunomodulation of the maternal uterus during pregnancy. In this study, livers were obtained at day 16 of the estrous cycle and at days 13, 16 and 25 of pregnancy (n = 6 for each group) in ewes. The effects of early pregnancy on the expression of P4 receptor (PGR) and progesterone-induced blocking factor 1 (PIBF1) were analysed through RT-qPCR assay, Western blot and immunohistochemistry analysis. Our results showed that the isoforms of PGR with molecular...