1
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Hou B, Wang H, Jiang N, Haosi B, Hasi S. Establishment of the HPLC fluorescence detection method for plasma trace ivermectin and its pharmacokinetics in Bactrian camel. Vet Med Sci 2024; 10:e1447. [PMID: 38613174 PMCID: PMC11015068 DOI: 10.1002/vms3.1447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Ivermectin (IVM), a widely used veterinary anthelmintic, lacks recommended doses for Bactrian camels. This study aims to establish its pharmacokinetics in Bactrian camels, comparing with other livestock. METHODS A method for high-performance liquid chromatography fluorescence detection of IVM in plasma was developed. RESULTS IVM exhibited linear scaling (y = 0.6946x + 0.0088, R2 = 0.9988) within 0.025-5 ng/mL, with a lower limit of quantification of 25.00 pg/mL, high recovery (>70%) and low RSD (<7%). In Bactrian camels, IVM injection showed a low Cmax, extended Tmax and apparent secondary absorption compared to cattle and sheep. CONCLUSIONS Slow absorption and widespread distribution were observed, with peak concentration and area under the curve correlating positively with the dose. This study provides insights into IVM pharmacokinetics in Bactrian camels, informing dose determination and highlighting potential metabolic differences compared to other livestock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Hou
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Technology in Animal Diseases, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary MedicineInner Mongolia Agricultural UniversityHohhotChina
| | - Haifeng Wang
- Tongliao Institute of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry SciencesTongliaoChina
| | - Nan Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Technology in Animal Diseases, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary MedicineInner Mongolia Agricultural UniversityHohhotChina
| | - Bilige Haosi
- Inner Mongolia Tenghetai Camel Industry Co., LtdBayannurChina
| | - Surong Hasi
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Technology in Animal Diseases, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary MedicineInner Mongolia Agricultural UniversityHohhotChina
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2
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El-Alfy ES, Abbas I, Saleh S, Elseadawy R, Fereig RM, Rizk MA, Xuan X. Tick-borne pathogens in camels: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence in dromedaries. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2024; 15:102268. [PMID: 37769585 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Published data on tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) in camels worldwide have been collected to provide an overview of the global prevalence and species diversity of camelid TBPs. Several TBPs have been detected in dromedary camels, raising concerns regarding their role as natural or maintenance hosts for tick-borne pathogens. Insubstantial evidence exists regarding the natural infection of camels with Babesia spp., Theileria spp., Anaplasma spp., and Ehrlichia spp., particularly because most of the camels were considered healthy at the time of sampling. Based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, a pooled prevalence of 35.3% (95% CI: 22.6-48.1%) was estimated for Anaplasma, which was the most frequently tested TBP in dromedaries, and DNA of Anaplasma marginale, Anaplasma centrale, Anaplasma ovis, Anaplasma platys, and A. platys-like were isolated, of which ruminants and dogs are reservoirs. Similarly, the estimated pooled prevalence for the two piroplasmid genera; Babesia and Theileria was approximately equal (10-12%) regardless of the detection method (microscopy or PCR testing). Nevertheless, Babesia caballi, Theileria equi, and Theileria annulata DNA have frequently been detected in camels but they have not yet been proven to be natural hosts. Scarce data detected Babesia microti, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) DNA in blood of dromedaries, although ticks of the genus Ixodes are distributed in limited areas where dromedaries are raised. Interestingly, a pooled seroprevalence of 47.7% (26.3-69.2%) was estimated for Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, and viral RNA was detected in dromedary blood; however, their contribution to maintain the viral transmission cycles requires further experimental investigation. The substantially low incidence and scarcity of data on Rickettsia and Ehrlichia species could imply that camels were accidentally infected. In contrast, camels may play a role in the spread of Coxiella burnetii, which is primarily transmitted through the inhalation of aerosols emitted by diseased animals and contaminated environments. Bactrian camels showed no symptoms due to the examined TBPs, meanwhile, clinical disease was seen in alpacas infected with A. phagocytophilum. Similar to dromedaries, accidental tick bites may be the cause of TBP DNA found in the blood of Bactrian camels.
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Affiliation(s)
- El-Sayed El-Alfy
- Parasitology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
| | - Ibrahim Abbas
- Parasitology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
| | - Somaya Saleh
- Parasitology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
| | - Rana Elseadawy
- Parasitology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
| | - Ragab M Fereig
- Department of Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, Qena City, Qena 83523, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Abdo Rizk
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-Cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan; Department of Internal Medicine, Infectious and Fish Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt.
| | - Xuenan Xuan
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-Cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan
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Qin Y, Huang W, Yang J, Zhao Y, Zhao M, Xu H, Zhang M. The Antibiotic Resistome and Its Association with Bacterial Communities in Raw Camel Milk from Altay Xinjiang. Foods 2023; 12:3928. [PMID: 37959048 PMCID: PMC10647823 DOI: 10.3390/foods12213928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Raw camel milk is generally contaminated with varied microbiota, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB), that can act as a potential pathway for the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). In this study, high-throughput quantitative PCR and 16S rRNA gene-based Illumine sequencing data were used to establish a comprehensive understanding of the antibiotic resistome and its relationship with the bacterial community in Bactrian camel milk from Xinjiang. A total of 136 ARGs and up to 1.33 × 108 total ARG copies per gram were identified, which predominantly encode resistance to β-lactamas and multidrugs. The ARGs' profiles were mainly explained by interactions between the bacteria community and physicochemical indicators (77.9%). Network analysis suggested that most ARGs exhibited co-occurrence with Corynebacterium, Leuconostoc and MGEs. Overall, raw camel milk serves as a reservoir for ARGs, which may aggravate the spread of ARGs through vertical and horizontal gene transfer in the food chain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanan Qin
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-13999236502
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Tao W, Aniwar L, ZuliPicar A, Tulafu H, Zhang R, Liu B, Wu W, Huang J. Analysis of Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Tarim and Junggar Bactrian Camels Based on Simplified GBS Genome Sequencing. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2349. [PMID: 37508126 PMCID: PMC10376019 DOI: 10.3390/ani13142349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
In view of the severe reduction in Bactrian camel germplasm resources, scientific evaluation, protection, and utilization is particularly important. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the genetic diversity and genetic structure of this species, and identify the genes that have played important roles in its evolution. In this study, 21,971 SNPs were identified in 118 domestic Bactrian camels from the Tarim (n = 60) and Junggar (n = 58) populations using simplified GBS genome sequencing. The results show that Tarim and Junggar Bactrian camels have high nucleotide diversity. A phylogenetic tree constructed using structural analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and the adjacency method (NJ) showed that Tarim and Junggar Bactrian camels were clustered together. The selection signals revealed that the Tarim and Junggar Bactrian camels shared 108 genes under positive selection, including WNT1, WNT10B, CD14, SEC61A2, DPAGT1, FOXO6, etc. These selected genes were widely involved in the immune system, embryonic development, lipid metabolism, and other processes. From a genomic analysis perspective, the genetic relationship between TLM and ZGE camels is close, with an average Fst of 0.048 and a relatively low average differentiation coefficient between the two populations. In addition, shared selected genes in the long-term depression pathway were significantly enriched in Tarim and Junggar. These findings will offer support and assistance for the exploration of genetic resource preservation, economically significant traits, and the mechanisms underlying biological characteristics, molecular breeding, and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weikun Tao
- Institute of Animal Science, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Sciences, Urumqi 830000, China
| | - Lazat Aniwar
- Institute of Animal Science, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Sciences, Urumqi 830000, China
| | - Azat ZuliPicar
- Institute of Animal Science, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Sciences, Urumqi 830000, China
| | - Hanikzi Tulafu
- Institute of Animal Science, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Sciences, Urumqi 830000, China
| | - Rongyin Zhang
- Institute of Quality Standards, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Husbandry Sciences, Urumqi 830000, China
| | - Bo Liu
- Institute of Animal Science, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Sciences, Urumqi 830000, China
| | - Weiwei Wu
- Institute of Animal Science, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Sciences, Urumqi 830000, China
| | - Juncheng Huang
- Institute of Animal Science, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Sciences, Urumqi 830000, China
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5
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Amandykova M, Dossybayev K, Mussayeva A, Saitou N, Zhunusbayeva Z, Bekmanov B. A Study of the Genetic Structure of Hybrid Camels in Kazakhstan. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1373. [PMID: 37510278 PMCID: PMC10379372 DOI: 10.3390/genes14071373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Camel farming is gaining scientific interest due to its unique agricultural characteristics. Camels are versatile for milk and meat production, wool, racing, transport, and tourism. To use their full potential, it is essential to improve our understanding of the genetic structure of these animals. One-humped and two-humped camels have received detailed genetic descriptions, while there is no such information for their hybrids, which outperform their parent species in several agricultural characteristics. Thus, in this study, for the first time, the whole genome sequencing data (WGS) of five hybrid camels bred in the Almaty region of Kazakhstan are presented in comparison with the WGS data of one-humped, two-humped, and wild camels. A total of 43,552,164 single-nucleotide polymorphisms were found across the studied groups. Further comparison of these SNPs showed the following number of private SNPs among the populations: hybrid camels (3,271,083), wild camels (2,515,591), Bactrians (1,244,694), and dromedaries (531,224). The genetic structure of the studied animals was described, and a phylogenetic tree was built to assess their genetic distance. It was found that the studied hybrids are genetically closer to dromedaries since they were on the close branch of the phylogenetic tree.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makpal Amandykova
- Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Al-Farabi Ave. 71, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan
- Laboratory of Genetics and Cytogenetics, Institute of Genetics and Physiology SC MSHE RK, Al-Farabi Ave. 93, Almaty 050060, Kazakhstan
| | - Kairat Dossybayev
- Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Al-Farabi Ave. 71, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan
- Laboratory of Genetics and Cytogenetics, Institute of Genetics and Physiology SC MSHE RK, Al-Farabi Ave. 93, Almaty 050060, Kazakhstan
| | - Aizhan Mussayeva
- Laboratory of Genetics and Cytogenetics, Institute of Genetics and Physiology SC MSHE RK, Al-Farabi Ave. 93, Almaty 050060, Kazakhstan
| | - Naruya Saitou
- Saitou Naruya Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, 1111 Yata, Mishima 411-8540, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Zhazira Zhunusbayeva
- Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Al-Farabi Ave. 71, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan
| | - Bakytzhan Bekmanov
- Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Al-Farabi Ave. 71, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan
- Laboratory of Genetics and Cytogenetics, Institute of Genetics and Physiology SC MSHE RK, Al-Farabi Ave. 93, Almaty 050060, Kazakhstan
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6
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Platani M, Sokefun O, Bassil E, Apidianakis Y. Genetic engineering and genome editing in plants, animals and humans: Facts and myths. Gene 2023; 856:147141. [PMID: 36574935 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.147141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Human history is inextricably linked to the introduction of desirable heritable traits in plants and animals. Selective breeding (SB) predates our historical period and has been practiced since the advent of agriculture and farming more than ten thousand years ago. Since the 1970s, methods of direct plant and animal genome manipulation are constantly being developed. These are collectively described as "genetic engineering" (GE). Plant GE aims to improve nutritional value, insect resistance and weed control. Animal GE has focused on livestock improvement and disease control. GE applications also involve medical improvements intended to treat human disease. The scientific consensus built around marketed products of GE organisms (GEOs) is usually well established, noting significant benefits and low risks. GEOs are exhaustively scrutinized in the EU and many non-EU countries for their effects on human health and the environment, but scrutiny should be equally applied to all previously untested organisms derived directly from nature or through selective breeding. In fact, there is no evidence to suggest that natural or selectively bred plants and animals are in principle safer to humans than GEOs. Natural and selectively bred strains evolve over time via genetic mutations that can be as risky to humans and the environment as the mutations found in GEOs. Thus, previously untested plant and animal strains aimed for marketing should be proven useful or harmful to humans only upon comparative testing, regardless of their origin. Highlighting the scientific consensus declaring significant benefits and rather manageable risks provided by equitably accessed GEOs, can mitigate negative predispositions by policy makers and the public. Accordingly, we provide an overview of the underlying technologies and the scientific consensus to help resolve popular myths about the safety and usefulness of GEOs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Platani
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Owolabi Sokefun
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Elias Bassil
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA
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Rivero J, Cutillas C, Callejón R. New genetic lineage of whipworm present in Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus). Vet Parasitol 2023; 315:109886. [PMID: 36724679 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2023.109886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
With a global population of around 35 million in 47 countries, camels play a crucial role in the economy of many marginal and desert areas of the world where they survive in harsh conditions. Nonetheless, there is insufficient knowledge regarding camels' parasite fauna which can reduce their milk and meat production. A molecular study for the Trichuris population of Camelus bactrianus from Spain is presented based on sequences of mitochondrial (cox1, cob, rrnL) and ribosomal (ITS1 and ITS2) DNA regions. Bayesian Inference and Maximum Likelihood methods were used to infer phylogenies for (i) each gene separately, (ii) the combined mitochondrial data, and (iii) the combined mitochondrial and ribosomal dataset. Molecular analyses revealed the existence of two different genetic lineages in the Trichuris parasites populations of C. bactrianus. Future studies should focus on whether there is a coevolution process corresponding to the wild or domestic character of C. bactrianus and Camelus dromedarius. Furthermore, it is necessary to increase integrative taxonomic studies on Trichuris spp. based on morphological, biometric, and molecular data, which will inevitably contribute to our knowledge of the etiology of trichuriasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Rivero
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Cristina Cutillas
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Seville, Seville, Spain.
| | - Rocío Callejón
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
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8
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The Flourishing Camel Milk Market and Concerns about Animal Welfare and Legislation. Animals (Basel) 2022; 13:ani13010047. [PMID: 36611656 PMCID: PMC9817819 DOI: 10.3390/ani13010047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The worldwide dromedary milk production has increased sharply since the beginning of this century due to prolonged shelf life, improved food-safety and perceived health benefits. Scientific confirmation of health claims will expand the market of dromedary milk further. As a result, more and more dromedaries will be bred for one purpose only: the highest possible milk production. However, intensive dromedary farming systems have consequences for animal welfare and may lead to genetic changes. Tighter regulations will be implemented to restrict commercialization of raw milk. Protocols controlling welfare of dromedaries and gene databases of milk-dromedaries will prevent negative consequences of intensive farming. In countries where dromedaries have only recently been introduced as production animal, legislators have limited expertise on this species. This is exemplified by an assessment on behalf of the Dutch government, recommending prohibiting keeping this species from 2024 onwards because the dromedary was deemed to be insufficiently domesticated. Implementation of this recommendation in Dutch law would have devastating effects on existing dromedary farms and could also pave the way for adopting similar measures in other European countries. In this paper it is shown that the Dutch assessment lacks scientific rigor. Awareness of breeders and legislators for the increasing knowledge about dromedaries and their products would strengthen the position of dromedaries as one of the most adapted and sustainable animals.
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Yakubu A, Okpeku M, Shoyombo AJ, Onasanya GO, Dahloum L, Çelik S, Oladepo A. Exploiting morphobiometric and genomic variability of African indigenous camel populations-A review. Front Genet 2022; 13:1021685. [PMID: 36579332 PMCID: PMC9791103 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1021685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Africa are adapted to arid and the semi-arid environmental conditions, and are valuable for meat, milk and fiber production. On account of the growing demand for camels in this continent, there is a need for knowledge on their phenotypic and genetic diversity. This is fundamental to sustainable herd management and utilization including the design of appropriate breeding and conservation strategies. We reviewed studies on the phenotypic and genetic characterization, breeding objectives, systems of production, productive and reproductive performances, and pathways for the sustainable rearing and use of camels in Africa. The morphological and genetic diversity, productive and reproductive abilities of African camels suggest the existence of genetic variations that can be utilized for breeds/ecotypes' genetic improvement and conservation. Possible areas of intervention include the establishment of open nucleus and community-based breeding schemes and utilization of modern reproductive technologies for the genetic improvement of milk and meat yields, sustainable management of rangelands, capacity building of the pastoralists and agro-pastoralists, institutional supports, formation of centralized conservation centres and efficient and effective marketing systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulmojeed Yakubu
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Centre for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development, Shabu-Lafia Campus, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Nigeria,*Correspondence: Abdulmojeed Yakubu, ; Moses Okpeku,
| | - Moses Okpeku
- Discipline of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, Durban, South Africa,*Correspondence: Abdulmojeed Yakubu, ; Moses Okpeku,
| | | | - Gbolabo O. Onasanya
- Department of Animal Science, Federal University Dutse, Dutse, Nigeria,Deparment of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Veterinary College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai, India
| | - Lahouari Dahloum
- Départment of Agronomy, Faculty of Natural Science and Life, Abdelhamid Ibn Badis, University, Mostaganem, Algeria
| | - Senol Çelik
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Bingöl University, Bingöl, Turkey
| | - Abolade Oladepo
- Discipline of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, Durban, South Africa
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Abdel-Aziem SH, Mabrouk DM, Abd El-Kader HA, Alam SS, Othman OE. Genetic similarity and diversity among three camel populations reared in Egypt. J Genet Eng Biotechnol 2022; 20:154. [DOI: 10.1186/s43141-022-00435-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Molecular genetics has been extremely useful in determining the relation between animal populations and documenting the degrees of genetic variation found within them. The present study was undertaken to evaluate genetic diversity and the relationships between the three camel populations reared in Egypt: Maghrabi, Sudani, and Baladi using mitochondrial 16S sequences and other breeds of camels in the world.
Methods
Blood samples were collected from camels belonging to these three populations. Genomic DNA was extracted from the collected blood samples and subjected to PCR using specific primers for mitochondrial 16S region. The amplified products were purified using DNA purification kit to remove residual primers and dNTPs. Sequencing was performed in the Macrogen Incorporation. The amplified products were submitted to GenBank/NCBI under accession numbers OM 278349 and OM 278350
Results
Sequencing was done on the partial mitochondrial 16S amplified fragments at 530 bp. This amplified area had two haplotypes. There was one substitution (G/A) at nucleotide 309 of the amplified segment. The nucleotide (π) and Hd stand for haplotype diversity, respectively, at 0.00008 and 0.042, and the average number of pairwise nucleotide differences, k, is 0.042, according to Fu’s Fs statistic and Tajima’s D, which is −1.10686. Genetic distance percentages between the three populations under study range from 0.000 to 0.0312. A phylogenetic analysis of Egyptian camel populations and other Camelus dromedarius populations revealed a strong relationship between them.
Conclusions
This study suggests that the 16S rRNA sequencing in mitochondria plays a critical role in genetic variation studies and analysis of phylogeny between camel populations and breeds.
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Ming L, Siren D, Hasi S, Jambl T, Ji R. Review of genetic diversity in Bactrian camel ( Camelus bactrianus). Anim Front 2022; 12:20-29. [PMID: 35974787 PMCID: PMC9374477 DOI: 10.1093/af/vfac027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Liang Ming
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Engineering, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 010018, Hohhot, China
| | - Dalai Siren
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Engineering, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 010018, Hohhot, China
| | - Surong Hasi
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Technology in Animal Disease, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 010018, Hohhot, China
| | - Tuyatsetseg Jambl
- China-Mongolia Joint Laboratory for Biomacromolecule Research, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Rimutu Ji
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Engineering, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 010018, Hohhot, China
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12
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Fowler KJ, Santymire RM. Characterizing zoo-housed Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) reproduction using gonadal steroid metabolite analysis in feces. Domest Anim Endocrinol 2022; 80:106721. [PMID: 35349824 DOI: 10.1016/j.domaniend.2022.106721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Millions of people globally depend on camelids, which demands an increased knowledge of their reproduction. We used zoo-housed Bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus) to better understand camelid reproductive physiology. Our specific objectives were to: 1) validate the use of fecal hormone metabolite analysis to characterize camel reproductive physiology during sexual maturity and pregnancy; and 2) determine the influence of season on male and female reproduction. We collected fecal samples from 1 male and 3 females housed at Lincoln Park Zoo (Chicago, IL, USA) 1 to 2 times per week for 3.5 years. Extracted hormones were analyzed using enzyme immunoassays for progestogen (FPM), estrogen (FEM), and androgen (FAM) metabolite concentrations. One female sexually matured during our study as evidenced by increased FEM baseline. Results demonstrated seasonal effects on male androgen production with FAMs higher (P < 0.05) January to June (mean ± SEM: 664.6 ± 22.6 ng/g wet feces), compared to July to December (401.6 ± 17.5 ng/g wet feces). One female experienced a persistent corpus luteum, a reproductive abnormality, which was identified by prolonged elevated FPM. FPMs increased during pregnancy for two females (452.9 ± 24.9 and 294.4 ± 19.8 ng/g wet feces) with a gestation of 404 d and 442 d, respectively. The third female never conceived. The FEMs varied (P < 0.05) during the year with no clear seasonal patterns (monthly mean range: 213.1-371.0 ng/g wet feces). Fecal hormone metabolite analysis is a validated method for assessing male seasonality and female pregnancy in the Bactrian camel and can for their management and conservation in zoos and the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- K J Fowler
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607; Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL 60614.
| | - R M Santymire
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607; Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL 60614; Biology Department, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302
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13
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What's in a name? Common name misuse potentially confounds the conservation of the wild camel Camelus ferus. ORYX 2022. [DOI: 10.1017/s0030605322000114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Common names allow species diversity to be acknowledged by experts and non-specialists alike; they are descriptors with both scientific and cultural implications. However, a lack of clarity when using a common name could risk altering perceptions of threatened species. This is the case for the Critically Endangered wild camel Camelus ferus, which, despite extensive evidence of its species status, is frequently referred to in English as wild Bactrian camel. However, the wild camel (Mongolian: хавтгай, khavtgai; Chinese: 野骆驼, ye luo tuo) is not a wild version of the domestic Bactrian camel Camelus bactrianus but a separate species near extinction, with an estimated population of c. 950. Failure to clearly separate Bactrian and wild camels in name risks masking the plight of the few remaining wild camels with the visible abundance of the domesticated species. Here we advocate the use of the accurate English common name wild camel for C. ferus ideally alongside its Indigenous names to correctly represent its cultural and conservation importance.
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Zhi L, Ai D, Yong M, Bao H, Han B, Sun B, Tu Y, Er D. The effects of genital myiasis on the diversity of the vaginal microbiota in female Bactrian camels. BMC Vet Res 2022; 18:87. [PMID: 35248026 PMCID: PMC8897907 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-022-03189-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Genital myasis is one of the most important diseases that affects the reproductive organs of Bactrian camels in which can cause serious mechanical damage to the vaginal tissue. The accumulation of bacteria in the vagina of female camels can affect their health and reproductive ability. The effect of this damage is commonly manifested in the vaginal flora and vaginal mucosal immune system. Therefore, this investigation is a study of the diversity of the vaginal flora and the differences between healthy Bactrian camels and those suffering from genital myiasis. Results Vaginal microbiota samples were collected from two groups of female Bactrian camels of the same age. An Illumina MiSeq was used to sequence the 16S rRNA V3-V4 hypervariable sequence in the samples. The results showed that the vaginal microflora of the infected camels had a significantly greater operational taxonomic unit (OTU) value. According to the assessment of the alpha diversity index and the vaginal pH, the diversity index of the infected camel flora was higher than that of the normal camel flora, and the vaginal pH was lower than that of the normal camels (p < 0.01). There were no significant differences between the two groups in the abundance of dominant genera in the Bactrian camel vagina (P > 0.05), indicating that the certain stability is maintained. Conclusions Overall, this comparison revealed the differences and similarities between the vaginal microbiota of Bactrian camels in various health statues. In addition, these data provide a reference point for understanding the types of bacteria that cause genital myiasis affecting the healthy development of Bactrian camels. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12917-022-03189-5.
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Wu X, Wei Q, Wang X, Shang Y, Zhang H. Evolutionary and dietary relationships of wild mammals based on the gut microbiome. Gene 2022; 808:145999. [PMID: 34627942 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2021.145999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Gut microbiome influence the health and evolution of mammals and multiple factors modulate the structure and function of gut microbiome. However, the specific changes of the diets and phylogeny on the gut microbiome were unclear. Here, we compared the gut microbiome of 16 rare wild mammals. All data (>200G 16S rRNA gene sequences) were generated using a high-throughput sequencing platform. Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the most predominant phyla in all mammals. However, Proteobacteria was an additionally dominant phylum specifically detected in the microbiome of carnivores and omnivores. Moreover, the dominant phyla in canids were Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, and Fusobacteria. Phylogenetic reconstructions based on the gut microbiome and mitochondrial genome of these mammals were similar. The impact of the host on the microbiome community composition was most evident when considering conspecific and congeneric relationships. Similarity clustering showed that the gut microbiome of herbivores was clustered together, and the other clade comprised both omnivores and carnivores. Collectively, these results revealed that phylogenetic relationships and diet have an important impact on the gut microbiome, and thus the gut microbiome community composition may reflect both the phylogenetic relationships and diets. This study provides valuable basic data to facilitate future efforts related to animal conservation and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyang Wu
- School of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, Shandong, PR China
| | - Qinguo Wei
- School of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, Shandong, PR China
| | - Xibao Wang
- School of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, Shandong, PR China
| | - Yongquan Shang
- School of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, Shandong, PR China
| | - Honghai Zhang
- School of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, Shandong, PR China.
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Otgonsuren D, Sivakumar T, Amgalanbaatar T, Enkhtaivan B, Narantsatsral S, Davaasuren B, Zoljargal M, Munkhgerel D, Davkharbayar B, Batmagnai E, Tuvshintulga B, Ahedor B, Myagmarsuren P, Battur B, Battsetseg B, Yokoyama N. Molecular survey of bovine Babesia species in Bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus) in Mongolia. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 13:101871. [PMID: 34814064 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Bovine babesiosis, which is caused by species of genus Babesia, is a leading cause of considerable economic losses to the cattle industry each year. Bovine Babesia species have frequently been detected in non-cattle hosts, such as water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), from which the parasites can be transmitted by ticks to cattle. Therefore, Babesia infections should be minimized not only in cattle but also in non-cattle carriers. In the present study, we surveyed the Bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus) in Mongolia for three clinically significant bovine Babesia species, including Babesia bovis, B. bigemina, and Babesia sp. Mymensingh, which had been detected previously in Mongolian cattle. We screened blood DNA samples from 305 Bactrian camels in six Mongolian provinces for these species, using parasite-specific PCR assays. Our findings showed that the Bactrian camels in Mongolia were infected with all three Babesia species surveyed. The overall positive rates of B. bovis, B. bigemina, and Babesia sp. Mymensingh were 32.1%, 21.6%, and 24.3%, respectively, whereas 52.5% of the surveyed animals were infected with at least one parasite species. We also found that the female Bactrian camels and the Mongolian native camel breed had significantly higher Babesia positive rates than the male Bactrian camels and the Hos Zogdort breed. In Mongolia, cattle and Bactrian camels usually share common pasture lands for grazing; furthermore, tick species infesting cattle also infest Bactrian camels. Our findings, together with these observations, suggest that the tick transmission of bovine Babesia species might be possible between cattle and Bactrian camels. Therefore, strategies for the control of bovine babesiosis in Mongolia should include methods to minimize bovine Babesia species infections in Bactrian camels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davaajav Otgonsuren
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan; Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Thillaiampalam Sivakumar
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Tovuu Amgalanbaatar
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Batsaikhan Enkhtaivan
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Sandagdorj Narantsatsral
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Batdorj Davaasuren
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Myagmar Zoljargal
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Dalantai Munkhgerel
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Batbold Davkharbayar
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Enkhbaatar Batmagnai
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Bumduuren Tuvshintulga
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan; Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Believe Ahedor
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan; Department of Animal Experimentation, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Punsantsogvoo Myagmarsuren
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Banzragch Battur
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; Graduate School of the Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Badgar Battsetseg
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Naoaki Yokoyama
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan; OIE Reference Laboratory for Bovine Babesiosis and Equine Piroplasmosis, National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan.
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Piro M. Aspects of Molecular Genetics in Dromedary Camel. Front Genet 2021; 12:723181. [PMID: 34764978 PMCID: PMC8577052 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.723181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Dromedary camels are unique in their morphological and physiological characteristics and are capable of providing milk and meat even under extreme environmental conditions. Like other species, the dromedary camel has also benefitted from the development of the molecular genetics to increase the knowledge about different aspect in camel genetics (genetic variation, molecular marker, parentage control, gene of interest, whole genome, dating…etc.). In this paper we review the different molecular genetic technics used in this particular species and future prospects. Dromedary genetic studies started in the end of the 1980s with phenotypic evaluation and the attempts to highlight the protein and biochemical diversity. In the 2000s, with the development of molecular markers such as microsatellites, genetic diversity of different types in several countries were estimated and microsatellites were also used for parentage control. In terms of genetic characterization, microsatellites revealed a defined global structure, differentiating East African and South Arabian dromedaries from North African, North Arabian, and South Asian individuals, respectively. Also, mitochondrialDNA sequence analysis of ancient DNA proved to be crucial in resolving domestication processes in dromedaries. Ancient and modern DNA revealed dynamics of domestication and cross-continental dispersion of the dromedary. Nuclear SNPs, single nucleotide polymorphisms changes that occur approximately each 1000 bps in the mammalian genome were also applied in some studies in dromedary. These markers are a very useful alternative to microsatellites and have been employed in some studies on genetic diversity and relevant phenotypic traits in livestock. Finally, thanks to the use of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) the whole-genome assemblies of the dromedary (Camelus dromedarius) and a work to establish the organization of the dromedary genome at chromosome level were recently published.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Piro
- Veterinary Genetics Laboratory (LAGEV), Hassan II Agronomic and Veterinary Institute, Rabat, Morocco
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Maspi N, Nayeri T, Moosazadeh M, Sarvi S, Sharif M, Daryani A. Global seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in Camelidae: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Acta Parasitol 2021; 66:733-744. [PMID: 33666861 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-020-00333-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The present study aimed to analyze data available of the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) among camelids around the world. METHODS The search was performed using seven international databases including Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, ProQuest, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and EMBASE up to 11 October 2018. Random effects model was used to determine the pooled seroprevalence of T. gondii infection with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and analyzed data from four continents. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses were also performed according to continent and gender. RESULTS In total, 42 studies out of 3517 published articles involving 14,542 camels from 17 countries were included for the final analyses. The global pooled seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in the Camelidae family was 28.16% (95% CI 23.64-32.68%). Besides, the highest seroprevalence rate was in Europe (49.64%) followed by Africa (37.63%), America (21.76%), and Asia (17.58%). Moreover, the overall seroprevalence rates of T. gondii infection were 22% (95% CI 10-33%) and 15% (95% CI 9-22%) for the females and males, respectively. CONCLUSION This meta-analysis showed a high seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in camelids as these animals play an important role in the transmission cycle of this zoonotic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nahid Maspi
- Department of Parasitology, School of Paramedicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran
- Zoonotic Diseases Research Center, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran
| | - Tooran Nayeri
- Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Sari Medical School, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, 48168-95475, Iran
- Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Mahmood Moosazadeh
- Health Sciences Research Center, Addiction Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Shahabeddin Sarvi
- Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Sari Medical School, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, 48168-95475, Iran
- Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Mehdi Sharif
- Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Sari Branch, Islamic AZAD University, Sari, Iran
| | - Ahmad Daryani
- Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Sari Medical School, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, 48168-95475, Iran.
- Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
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Wanner NM, Faulk C. Suggested Absence of Horizontal Transfer of Retrotransposons between Humans and Domestic Mammal Species. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12081223. [PMID: 34440397 PMCID: PMC8391136 DOI: 10.3390/genes12081223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Transposable element sequences are usually vertically inherited but have also spread across taxa via horizontal transfer. Previous investigations of ancient horizontal transfer of transposons have compared consensus sequences, but this method resists detection of recent single or low copy number transfer events. The relationship between humans and domesticated animals represents an opportunity for potential horizontal transfer due to the consistent shared proximity and exposure to parasitic insects, which have been identified as plausible transfer vectors. The relatively short period of extended human-animal contact (tens of thousands of years or less) makes horizontal transfer of transposons between them unlikely. However, the availability of high-quality reference genomes allows individual element comparisons to detect low copy number events. Using pairwise all-versus-all megablast searches of the complete suite of retrotransposons of thirteen domestic animals against human, we searched a total of 27,949,823 individual TEs. Based on manual comparisons of stringently filtered BLAST search results for evidence of vertical inheritance, no plausible instances of HTT were identified. These results indicate that significant recent HTT between humans and domesticated animals has not occurred despite the close proximity, either due to the short timescale, inhospitable recipient genomes, a failure of vector activity, or other factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M. Wanner
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, 301 Veterinary Science Building, 1971 Commonwealth Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA;
| | - Christopher Faulk
- Department of Animal Science, College of Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resource Sciences, University of Minnesota, 277 Coffey Hall, 1420 Eckles Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
- Correspondence:
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Devaux CA, Osman IO, Million M, Raoult D. Coxiella burnetii in Dromedary Camels ( Camelus dromedarius): A Possible Threat for Humans and Livestock in North Africa and the Near and Middle East? Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:558481. [PMID: 33251255 PMCID: PMC7674558 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.558481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The "One Health" concept recognizes that human health is connected to animal health and to the ecosystems. Coxiella burnetii-induced human Q fever is one of the most widespread neglected zoonosis. The main animal reservoirs responsible for C. burnetii transmission to humans are domesticated ruminants, primarily goats, sheep, and cattle. Although studies are still too sparse to draw definitive conclusions, the most recent C. burnetii serosurvey studies conducted in herds and farms in Africa, North Africa, Arabian Peninsula, and Asia highlighted that seroprevalence was strikingly higher in dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) than in other ruminants. The C. burnetii seroprevalence in camel herds can reach more than 60% in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan, and 70 to 80% in Algeria and Chad, respectively. The highest seroprevalence was in female camels with a previous history of abortion. Moreover, C. burnetii infection was reported in ticks of the Hyalomma dromedarii and Hyalomma impeltatum species collected on camels. Even if dromedary camels represent <3% of the domesticated ruminants in the countries of the Mediterranean basin Southern coast, these animals play a major socioeconomic role for millions of people who live in the arid zones of Africa, Middle East, and Asia. In Chad and Somalia, camels account for about 7 and 21% of domesticated ruminants, respectively. To meet the growing consumers demand of camel meat and milk (>5 million tons/year of both raw and pasteurized milk according to the Food and Agriculture Organization) sustained by a rapid increase of population (growth rate: 2.26-3.76 per year in North Africa), dromedary camel breeding tends to increase from the Maghreb to the Arabic countries. Because of possible long-term persistence of C. burnetii in camel hump adipocytes, this pathogen could represent a threat for herds and breeding farms and ultimately for public health. Because this review highlights a hyperendemia of C. burnetii in dromedary camels, a proper screening of herds and breeding farms for C. burnetii is urgently needed in countries where camel breeding is on the rise. Moreover, the risk of C. burnetii transmission from camel to human should be further evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian A. Devaux
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
- CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Ikram Omar Osman
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
- Faculty of Sciences Ben-Ben-M'Sik, University Hassan II, Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Matthieu Million
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Didier Raoult
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
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Modes of genetic adaptations underlying functional innovations in the rumen. SCIENCE CHINA-LIFE SCIENCES 2020; 64:1-21. [PMID: 33165812 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-020-1828-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The rumen is the hallmark organ of ruminants and hosts a diverse ecosystem of microorganisms that facilitates efficient digestion of plant fibers. We analyzed 897 transcriptomes from three Cetartiodactyla lineages: ruminants, camels and cetaceans, as well as data from ruminant comparative genomics and functional assays to explore the genetic basis of rumen functional innovations. We identified genes with relatively high expression in the rumen, of which many appeared to be recruited from other tissues. These genes show functional enrichment in ketone body metabolism, regulation of microbial community, and epithelium absorption, which are the most prominent biological processes involved in rumen innovations. Several modes of genetic change underlying rumen functional innovations were uncovered, including coding mutations, genes newly evolved, and changes of regulatory elements. We validated that the key ketogenesis rate-limiting gene (HMGCS2) with five ruminant-specific mutations was under positive selection and exhibits higher synthesis activity than those of other mammals. Two newly evolved genes (LYZ1 and DEFB1) are resistant to Gram-positive bacteria and thereby may regulate microbial community equilibrium. Furthermore, we confirmed that the changes of regulatory elements accounted for the majority of rumen gene recruitment. These results greatly improve our understanding of rumen evolution and organ evo-devo in general.
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Ming L, Siren D, Yi L, Hai L, He J, Ji R. Mitochondrial DNA variation and phylogeography of Old World camels. Anim Biosci 2020; 34:525-532. [PMID: 32898955 PMCID: PMC7961272 DOI: 10.5713/ajas.20.0319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Old World camels are a valuable genetic resource for many countries around the world due to their adaptation to the desert environment. At present, Old World camels have encountered the challenge of unprecedented loss of genetic resources. Through our research, we would reveal the population structure and genetic variation in Old World camel populations, which provides a theoretical basis for understanding the germplasm resources and origin and evolution of different Old World camel populations. Methods In the present study, we assessed mtDNA control region sequences of 182 individuals from Old World camels to unravel genetic diversity, phylogeography, and demographic dynamics. Results Thirty-two haplotypes confirmed by 54 polymorphic sites were identified in the 156 sequences, which included 129 domestic and 27 wild Bactrian camels. Meanwhile, 14 haplotypes were defined by 47 polymorphic sites from 26 sequences in the dromedaries. The wild Bactrian camel population showed the lowest haplotype and nucleotide diversity, while the dromedaries investigated had the highest. The phylogenetic analysis suggests that there are several shared haplotypes in different Bactrian camel populations, and that there has been genetic introgression between domestic Bactrian camels and dromedaries. In addition, positive values of Tajima’s D and Fu’s Fs test demonstrated a decrease in population size and/or balancing selection in the wild Bactrian camel population. In contrast, the negative values of Tajima’s D and Fu’s Fs test in East Asian Bactrian camel populations explained the demographic expansion and/or positive selection. Conclusion In summary, we report novel information regarding the genetic diversity, population structure and demographic dynamics of Old World camels. The findings obtained from the present study reveal that abundant genetic diversity occurs in domestic Bactrian camel populations and dromedaries, while there are low levels of haplotype and nucleotide diversity in the wild Bactrian camel population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Ming
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China.,Camel Research Institute of Inner Mongolia, Alashan 737300, China
| | - Dalai Siren
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China.,Camel Research Institute of Inner Mongolia, Alashan 737300, China
| | - Li Yi
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China.,Camel Research Institute of Inner Mongolia, Alashan 737300, China
| | - Le Hai
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
| | - Jing He
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
| | - Rimutu Ji
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China.,Camel Research Institute of Inner Mongolia, Alashan 737300, China
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Liu C, Chen H, Ren Z, Yang X, Zhang C. Development of Genomic Resources and Identification of Genetic Diversity and Genetic Structure of the Domestic Bactrian Camel in China by RAD Sequencing. Front Genet 2020; 11:797. [PMID: 32849801 PMCID: PMC7406665 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The domestic Bactrian camel is indispensable to agricultural production in the desertification area of China owning to its endurance to hunger and thirst, cold resistance, drought resistance, and good long-distance transportation. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the genetic diversity, genetic structure, and genes with important roles in the evolution of this species. In this study, 1,568,087 SNPs were identified in 47 domestic Bactrian camels inhabiting four regions of China, namely Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Qinghai, and Xinjiang, by restriction site associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq). The SNP data were used for nucleotide diversity analysis (π) and linkage disequilibrium (LD) attenuation analysis to elucidate the genetic diversity of the domestic Bactrian camel in the four regions studied. Results showed that Xinjiang camels had the highest nucleotide diversity and the fastest decay rate of the LD coefficient; therefore, Xinjiang camels had the highest genetic diversity. Structure analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and phylogenetic tree construction by the neighbor-joining (NJ) method showed that Qinghai camels clustered separately, at a larger phylogenetic distance from camels in the other regions. Through analyses of selection signals, it was found that the number of selected genes shared by Inner Mongolia camels, Qinghai camels, Xinjiang camels, and Gansu camels was 7, 24, 25, and 113, respectively. The shared selected genes of the domestic Bactrian camel in the four regions were further analyzed, and three shared genes (GRIA3, XIAP, and THOC2) of the domestic Bactrian camel in China were identified. Gene Ontology (GO) classification and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis were performed on the shared selected genes of the domestic Bactrian camel in all four regions studied. Across all regions, genes involved in the cellular process were the most abundant subcategory under biological process. Cell and cell part represented the main proportion of genes under cellular component. Binding represented the main molecular function. In addition, the shared selected genes of the domestic Bactrian camel in the four regions of China were significantly enriched in the long-term depression pathway. The research should enable further study of the genetic resources of the domestic Bactrian camel, as well as the conservation of these resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenmiao Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang, China
| | - Huiling Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang, China
| | - Zhanjun Ren
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang, China
| | - Xuejiao Yang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang, China
| | - Chengdong Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang, China
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24
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Ming L, Yuan L, Yi L, Ding G, Hasi S, Chen G, Jambl T, Hedayat-Evright N, Batmunkh M, Badmaevna GK, Gan-Erdene T, Ts B, Zhang W, Zulipikaer A, Hosblig, Erdemt, Natyrov A, Mamay P, Narenbatu, Meng G, Narangerel C, Khongorzul O, He J, Hai L, Lin W, Sirendalai, Sarentuya, Aiyisi, Li Y, Wang Z, Jirimutu. Whole-genome sequencing of 128 camels across Asia reveals origin and migration of domestic Bactrian camels. Commun Biol 2020; 3:1. [PMID: 31925316 PMCID: PMC6946651 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-019-0734-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 164] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The domestic Bactrian camels were treated as one of the principal means of locomotion between the eastern and western cultures in history. However, whether they originated from East Asia or Central Asia remains elusive. To address this question, we perform whole-genome sequencing of 128 camels across Asia. The extant wild and domestic Bactrian camels show remarkable genetic divergence, as they were split from dromedaries. The wild Bactrian camels also contribute little to the ancestry of domestic ones, although they share close habitat in East Asia. Interestingly, among the domestic Bactrian camels, those from Iran exhibit the largest genetic distance and the earliest split from all others in the phylogeny, despite evident admixture between domestic Bactrian camels and dromedaries living in Central Asia. Taken together, our study support the Central Asian origin of domestic Bactrian camels, which were then immigrated eastward to Mongolia where native wild Bactrian camels inhabit. Ming, Yuan et al. performed whole-genome sequencing on 128 wild and domesticated Bactrian camels across Asia. They show that wild and domestic Bactrian camels are genetically diverged from dromedaries, and that wild camels contributed little to domestic camel ancestry despite sharing a habitat in East Asia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Ming
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Engineering, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Huhhot, China.,Inner Mongolia Institute of Camel Research, West Alax, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Liyun Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,Bio-Med Big Data Center, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Yi
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Engineering, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Huhhot, China
| | - Guohui Ding
- Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,Gui'an Bio-Med Big Data Center, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, China
| | - Surong Hasi
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Technology in Animal Disease, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Huhhot, China
| | - Gangliang Chen
- Bactrian Camel Academe of Altai, Xingjiang Wangyuan Camel Milk Limited Company, Fuhai County, Xijiang, China
| | - Tuyatsetseg Jambl
- College of Industrial Technology, Mongolian University of Science and Technology, Ulaanbaater, Mongolia
| | | | - Mijiddorj Batmunkh
- China-Mongolia Joint Laboratory for Biomacromolecule Research, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.,Mongolian Wild Camel Protection Area, Ministry of Nature and Environment, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | | | - Tudeviin Gan-Erdene
- Institute of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Batsukh Ts
- College of Industrial Technology, Mongolian University of Science and Technology, Ulaanbaater, Mongolia
| | - Wenbin Zhang
- Bactrian Camel Institute of Alxa, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Azhati Zulipikaer
- Animal Science Institute, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi, China
| | - Hosblig
- Animal Husbandry Bureau of North Urad, Bayannuur, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Erdemt
- Animal Husbandry Workstation of West Sunid, Xiliingol, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Arkady Natyrov
- Agrarian Faculty, Kalmyk State University, Republic of Kalmykia, Russia
| | | | - Narenbatu
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Huhhot, China
| | - Gendalai Meng
- Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Huhhot, China
| | | | - Orgodol Khongorzul
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Engineering, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Huhhot, China
| | - Jing He
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Engineering, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Huhhot, China
| | - Le Hai
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Engineering, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Huhhot, China
| | - Weili Lin
- Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Sirendalai
- Inner Mongolia Institute of Camel Research, West Alax, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Sarentuya
- Inner Mongolia Institute of Camel Research, West Alax, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Aiyisi
- College of Industrial Technology, Mongolian University of Science and Technology, Ulaanbaater, Mongolia
| | - Yixue Li
- Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China. .,Bio-Med Big Data Center, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China. .,Shanghai Center for Bioinformation Technology, Shanghai Industrial Technology Institute, Shanghai, China. .,Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Zhen Wang
- Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
| | - Jirimutu
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Engineering, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Huhhot, China. .,Inner Mongolia Institute of Camel Research, West Alax, Inner Mongolia, China. .,China-Mongolia Joint Laboratory for Biomacromolecule Research, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
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25
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A Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Quantitative Trait Loci Affecting Hematological Traits in Camelus bactrianus. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10010096. [PMID: 31936121 PMCID: PMC7023321 DOI: 10.3390/ani10010096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Revised: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Bactrian camels can adapt to harsh natural environments. This unique tolerance of camels is tightly linked to their hematological traits, which are related to their immune, metabolic, and disease status. Therefore, mapping genomic regions that affect blood cell traits can help identify genomic characteristics that can be used as biomarkers of immune, metabolic, and disease states. This knowledge will further our understanding of the camel’s tolerance mechanisms. Abstract Bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus) are one of the few large livestock species that can survive in the Gobi Desert. Animal immunity and disease resistance are related to hematological traits, which are also associated with tolerance observed in Bactrian camels. However, no genome-wide association studies have examined the genetic mechanism of the immune capability of Bactrian camels. In the present study, we used genotyping-by-sequencing data generated from 366 Bactrian camel accessions to perform a genome-wide association study for 17 hematological traits. Of the 256,616 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) obtained, 1,635 trait–SNP associations were among the top quantitative trait locus candidates. Lastly, 664 candidate genes associated with 13 blood traits were identified. The most significant were ZNF772, MTX2, ESRRG, MEI4, IL11, FRMPD4, GABPA, NTF4, CRYBG3, ENPP5, COL16A1, and CD207. The results of our genome-wide association study provide a list of significant SNPs and candidate genes, which offer valuable information for further dissection of the molecular mechanisms that regulate the camel’s hematological traits to ultimately reveal their tolerance mechanisms.
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Plasil M, Wijkmark S, Elbers JP, Oppelt J, Burger PA, Horin P. The Major Histocompatibility Complex of Old World Camels-A Synopsis. Cells 2019; 8:cells8101200. [PMID: 31590341 PMCID: PMC6829570 DOI: 10.3390/cells8101200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Revised: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
This study brings new information on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class III sub-region genes in Old World camels and integrates current knowledge of the MHC region into a comprehensive overview for Old World camels. Out of the MHC class III genes characterized, TNFA and the LY6 gene family showed high levels of conservation, characteristic for MHC class III loci in general. For comparison, an MHC class II gene TAP1, not coding for antigen presenting molecules but functionally related to MHC antigen presenting functions was studied. TAP1 had many SNPs, even higher than the MHC class I and II genes encoding antigen presenting molecules. Based on this knowledge and using new camel genomic resources, we constructed an improved genomic map of the entire MHC region of Old World camels. The MHC class III sub-region shows a standard organization similar to that of pig or cattle. The overall genomic structure of the camel MHC is more similar to pig MHC than to cattle MHC. This conclusion is supported by differences in the organization of the MHC class II sub-region, absence of functional DY genes, different organization of MIC genes in the MHC class I sub-region, and generally closer evolutionary relationships of camel and porcine MHC gene sequences analyzed so far.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Plasil
- Dept. of Animal Genetics, Veterinary and Pharmaceutical University, Palackeho trida 1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic.
- Ceitec VFU, RG Animal Immunogenomics, Palackeho trida 1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Sofia Wijkmark
- Dept. of Animal Genetics, Veterinary and Pharmaceutical University, Palackeho trida 1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Jean Pierre Elbers
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Vetmeduni Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160 Wien, Austria.
| | - Jan Oppelt
- Ceitec MU, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
- Faculty of Science, National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Pamela Anna Burger
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Vetmeduni Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160 Wien, Austria.
| | - Petr Horin
- Dept. of Animal Genetics, Veterinary and Pharmaceutical University, Palackeho trida 1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic.
- Ceitec VFU, RG Animal Immunogenomics, Palackeho trida 1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic.
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27
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Chen SG, Li J, Zhang F, Xiao B, Hu JM, Cui YQ, Hofreiter M, Hou XD, Sheng GL, Lai XL, Yuan JX. Different maternal lineages revealed by ancient mitochondrial genome of Camelus bactrianus from China. Mitochondrial DNA A DNA Mapp Seq Anal 2019; 30:786-793. [PMID: 31542986 DOI: 10.1080/24701394.2019.1659250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Domestic Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) used to be one of the most important livestock species in Chinese history, as well as the major transport carrier on the ancient Silk Road. However, archeological studies on Chinese C. bactrianus are still limited, and molecular biology research on this species is mainly focused on modern specimens. In this study, we retrieved the complete mitochondrial genome from a C. bactrianus specimen, which was excavated from northwestern China and dated at 1290-1180 cal. years before present (yBP). Phylogenetic analyses using 18 mitochondrial genomes indicated that the C. bactrianus clade was divided into two maternal lineages. The majority of samples originating from Iran to Japan and Mongolia belong to subclade A1, while our sample together with two Mongolian individuals formed the much smaller subclade A2. Furthermore, the divergence time of these two maternal lineages was estimated as 165 Kya (95% credibility interval 117-222 Kya), this might indicate that several different evolutionary lineages were incorporated into the domestic gene pool during the initial domestication process. Bayesian skyline plot (BSP) analysis suggest a slow increase in female effective population size of C. bactrianus from 5000 years ago, which corresponds to the beginning of domestication of C. bactrianus. The present study also revealed that there were extensive exchanges of genetic information among C. bactrianus populations in regions along the Silk Road.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shun-Gang Chen
- Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences , Wuhan , China.,State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences , Wuhan , China
| | - Ji Li
- Insitute of Silk Road Studies, Northwest University , Xi'an , China
| | - Fan Zhang
- Ancient DNA Lab, School of Life Science, Jilin University , Changchun , China
| | - Bo Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences , Wuhan , China
| | - Jia-Ming Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences , Wuhan , China
| | - Yin-Qiu Cui
- Ancient DNA Lab, School of Life Science, Jilin University , Changchun , China
| | - Michael Hofreiter
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse , Potsdam , Germany
| | - Xin-Dong Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences , Wuhan , China
| | - Gui-Lian Sheng
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences , Wuhan , China
| | - Xu-Long Lai
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences , Wuhan , China
| | - Jun-Xia Yuan
- Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences , Wuhan , China.,State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences , Wuhan , China
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28
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Burger PA, Ciani E, Faye B. Old World camels in a modern world - a balancing act between conservation and genetic improvement. Anim Genet 2019; 50:598-612. [PMID: 31532019 PMCID: PMC6899786 DOI: 10.1111/age.12858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Old World camels have served humans in cross‐continental caravans, transporting people and goods, connecting different cultures and providing milk, meat, wool and draught since their domestication around 3000–6000 years ago. In a world of modern transport and fast connectivity, these beasts of burden seem to be out‐dated. However, a growing demand for sustainable milk and meat production, especially in countries affected by climate change and increasing desertification, brings dromedaries (Camelus dromedarius) and Bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus) back onstage and into the focus of animal breeders and scientists. In this review on the molecular genetics of these economically important species we give an overview about the evolutionary history, domestication and dispersal of Old World camels, whereas highlighting the need for conservation of wild two‐humped camels (Camelus ferus) as an evolutionarily unique and highly endangered species. We provide cutting‐edge information on the current molecular resources and on‐going sequencing projects. We cannot emphasise enough the importance of balancing the need for improving camel production traits with maintaining the genetic diversity in two domestic species with specific physiological adaptation to a desert environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- P A Burger
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Vetmeduni Vienna, Vienna, 1160, Austria
| | - E Ciani
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Biotecnologie e Biofarmaceutica, Università degli Studi di Bari 'Aldo Moro', Via Orabona, 4, 70125, Bari, Italy
| | - B Faye
- CIRAD-ES, UMR SELMET TAC/112A, Campus international de Baillarguet, 34398, Montpellier cedex, France
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29
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Favia M, Fitak R, Guerra L, Pierri CL, Faye B, Oulmouden A, Burger PA, Ciani E. Beyond the Big Five: Investigating Myostatin Structure, Polymorphism and Expression in Camelus dromedarius. Front Genet 2019; 10:502. [PMID: 31231423 PMCID: PMC6566074 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Myostatin, a negative regulator of skeletal muscle mass in animals, has been shown to play a role in determining muscular hypertrophy in several livestock species, and a high degree of polymorphism has been previously reported for this gene in humans and cattle. In this study, we provide a characterization of the myostatin gene in the dromedary (Camelus dromedarius) at the genomic, transcript and protein level. The gene was found to share high structural and sequence similarity with other mammals, notably Old World camelids. 3D modeling highlighted several non-conservative SNP variants compared to the bovine, as well as putative functional variants involved in the stability of the myostatin dimer. NGS data for nine dromedaries from various countries revealed 66 novel SNPs, all of them falling either upstream or downstream the coding region. The analysis also confirmed the presence of three previously described SNPs in intron 1, predicted here to alter both splicing and transcription factor binding sites (TFBS), thus possibly impacting myostatin processing and/or regulation. Several putative TFBS were identified in the myostatin upstream region, some of them belonging to the myogenic regulatory factor family. Patterns of SNP distribution across countries, as suggested by Bayesian clustering of the nine dromedaries using the 69 SNPs, pointed to weak geographic differentiation, in line with known recurrent gene flow at ancient trading centers along caravan routes. Myostatin expression was investigated in a set of 8 skeletal muscles, both at transcript and protein level, via Digital Droplet PCR and Western Blotting, respectively. No significant differences were observed at the transcript level, while, at the protein level, the only significant differences concerned the promyostatin dimer (75 kDa), in four pair-wise comparisons, all involving the tensor fasciae latae muscle. Beside the mentioned band at 75 kDa, additional bands were observed at around 40 and 25 kDa, corresponding to the promyostatin monomer and the active C-terminal myostatin dimer, respectively. Their weaker intensity suggests that the unprocessed myostatin dimers could act as important reservoirs of slowly available myostatin forms. Under this assumption, the sequential cleavage steps may contribute additional layers of control within an already complex regulatory framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Favia
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy
| | - Robert Fitak
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Vetmeduni, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Lorenzo Guerra
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy
| | - Ciro Leonardo Pierri
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy
| | | | - Ahmad Oulmouden
- Département Sciences du Vivant, Université de Limoges, Limoges, France
| | | | - Elena Ciani
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy
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30
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Antonacci R, Bellini M, Linguiti G, Ciccarese S, Massari S. Comparative Analysis of the TRB Locus in the Camelus Genus. Front Genet 2019; 10:482. [PMID: 31231418 PMCID: PMC6558370 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
T cells can be separated into two major subsets based on the heterodimer that forms their T cell receptors. αβ T cells have receptors consisting of α and β chains, while γδ T cells are composed of γ and δ chains. αβ T cells play an essential role within the adaptive immune responses against pathogens. The recent genomic characterization of the Camelus dromedarius T cell receptor β (TRB) locus has allowed us to infer the structure of this locus from the draft genome sequences of its wild and domestic Bactrian congeners, Camelus ferus and Camelus bactrianus. The general structural organization of the wild and domestic Bactrian TRB locus is similar to that of the dromedary, with a pool of TRBV genes positioned at the 5′ end of D-J-C clusters, followed by a single TRBV gene located at the 3′ end with an inverted transcriptional orientation. Despite the fragmented nature of the assemblies, comparative genomics reveals the existence of a perfect co-linearity between the three Old World camel TRB genomic sequences, which enables the transfer of information from one sequence to another and the filling of gaps in the genomic sequences. A virtual camelid TRB locus is hypothesized with the presence of 33 TRBV genes distributed in 26 subgroups. Likewise, in the artiodactyl species, three in-tandem D-J-C clusters, each composed of one TRBD gene, six or seven TRBJ genes, and one TRBC gene, are placed at the 3′ end of the locus. As reported in the ruminant species, a group of four functional TRY genes at the 5′ end and only one gene at the 3′ end, complete the camelid TRB locus. Although the gene content is similar, differences are observed in the TRBV functional repertoire, and genes that are functional in one species are pseudogenes in the other species. Hence, variations in the functional repertoire between dromedary, wild and domestic Bactrian camels, rather than differences in the gene content, may represent the molecular basis explaining the disparity in the TRB repertoire between the Camelus species. Finally, our data contribute to the knowledge about the evolutionary history of Old World camelids.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Serafina Massari
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
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31
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32
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Legesse YW, Dunn CD, Mauldin MR, Ordonez-Garza N, Rowden GR, Gebre YM, Kurtu MY, Mohammed Ali S, Whibesilassie WD, Ballou M, Tefera M, Perry G, Bradley RD. Morphometric and genetic variation in 8 breeds of Ethiopian camels (Camelus dromedarius). J Anim Sci 2019; 96:4925-4934. [PMID: 30189034 PMCID: PMC6276583 DOI: 10.1093/jas/sky351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) are a domesticated and closely guarded economic staple of indigenous people located throughout Ethiopian territorial states. Seventeen morphometric variables were examined to determine intraspecific variation among 8 pastoralist-designated breeds of camels. Additionally, DNA sequences from mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene and genotyping of 6 nuclear microsatellite loci were examined to assess genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationship of Ethiopian camels. Examination of 525 individuals revealed significant morphometric differentiation in Afar as compared with the remaining 7 breeds. Analysis of cytochrome-b sequences failed to recover monophyletic groups associated with pastoralist-recognized breeds. Analysis of 6 microsatellite loci from 104 individuals depicted no resolution of distinct genetic lineages in accordance to geographical or designated breeds. Overall, separation of 2 ecotypes based on the morphometric data was supported; however, genetic analysis of cytochrome-b and microsatellite data failed to support any unique genetic lineage or statistically significant population structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoseph W Legesse
- Department of Animal Production, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Haramaya University, Ethiopia.,Department of Animal and Range Sciences, College of Dryland Agriculture, Jigjiga University, Ethiopia
| | | | - Matthew R Mauldin
- Poxvirus and Rabies Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Atlanta, GA.,Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) CDC Fellowship Program, Oakridge, TN
| | | | - Gage R Rowden
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
| | - Yoseph Mekasha Gebre
- Department of Animal Production, School of Animal and Range Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Haramaya University, Ethiopia
| | - Mohammed Y Kurtu
- Department of Animal Production, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Haramaya University, Ethiopia.,Department of Animal and Range Sciences, College of Dryland Agriculture, Jigjiga University, Ethiopia
| | - Seid Mohammed Ali
- Department of Animal and Range Sciences, College of Dryland Agriculture, Jigjiga University, Ethiopia
| | - Wondmagegne D Whibesilassie
- Department of Animal Production, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Haramaya University, Ethiopia.,Department of Animal and Range Sciences, College of Dryland Agriculture, Jigjiga University, Ethiopia
| | - Michael Ballou
- Department of Natural Resource Management, Texas Tech University, Lubbock
| | - Melaku Tefera
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lilonge University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Malawi
| | - Gad Perry
- Division of International Research and Development, Office of International Affairs, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
| | - Robert D Bradley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX.,Museum of Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
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33
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Ali A, Baby B, Vijayan R. From Desert to Medicine: A Review of Camel Genomics and Therapeutic Products. Front Genet 2019; 10:17. [PMID: 30838017 PMCID: PMC6389616 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Camels have an important role in the lives of human beings, especially in arid regions, due to their multipurpose role and unique ability to adapt to harsh conditions. In spite of its enormous economic, cultural, and biological importance, the camel genome has not been widely studied. The size of camel genome is roughly 2.38 GB, containing over 20,000 genes. The unusual genetic makeup of the camel is the main reason behind its ability to survive under extreme environmental conditions. The camel genome harbors several unique variations which are being investigated for the treatment of several disorders. Various natural products from camels have also been tested and prescribed as adjunct therapy to control the progression of ailments. Interestingly, the camel employs unique immunological and molecular mechanisms against pathogenic agents and pathological conditions. Here, we broadly review camel classification, distribution and breed as well as recent progress in the determination of the camel genome, its size, genetic distribution, response to various physiological conditions, immunogenetics and the medicinal potential of camel gene products.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ranjit Vijayan
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
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34
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Chen H, Ren Z, Zhao J, Zhang C, Yang X. Y-chromosome polymorphisms of the domestic Bactrian camel in China. J Genet 2018; 97:3-10. [PMID: 29666320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), microsatellites and copy number variation (CNV) were studied on the Y chromosome to understand the paternal origin and phylogenetic relationships for resource protection, rational development and utilization of the domestic Bactrian camel in China. Our sample set consisted of 94 Chinese domestic Bactrian camels from four regions (Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Qinghai and Xinjiang), we screened 29 Y-chromosome-specific loci for SNPs, analysed 40 bovine-derived microsatellite loci and measured CNVs of HSFY and SRY through Sanger sequencing, automated fluorescence-based microsatellite analysis and quantitative real-time PCR, respectively. A multicopy gene, SRY, was first found, and sequence variation was only detected in SRY in a screen of 29 loci in 13 DNA pools of individual camels. In addition, a TG repeat in the USP9Y gene was identified as the first polymorphic microsatellite in the camel Y chromosome, whereas microsatellite based on bovine sequences were not detected. The frequency of each allele varied among different populations. For the Nanjiang, Hexi and Alashan populations, a 243-bp allele was found. For the Sunite population, 241-bp, 243-bp and 247-bp alleles were detected, and the frequencies of these alleles were 22.2%, 44.5% and 33.3%, respectively; 241-bp and 243-bp alleles were found in other populations. Finally, CNVs in two Y-chromosomal genes were detected; CNV for HSFY and SRY ranged from 1 to 3 and from 1 to 9, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiling Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, People's Republic of China.
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Sarvani RK, Parmar DR, Tabasum W, Thota N, Sreenivas A, Gaur A. Characterization of the complete mitogenome of Indian Mouse Deer, Moschiola indica (Artiodactyla: Tragulidae) and its evolutionary significance. Sci Rep 2018; 8:2697. [PMID: 29426945 PMCID: PMC5807545 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-20946-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2017] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The mitochondrial genome of Indian mouse deer (Moschiola indica) was sequenced, assembled and characterized for the first time using 22 pairs of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers. The mitogenome of M. indica which is 16,444 bp in size was found very similar to most vertebrates in organisation that harbours 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA, 2 ribosomal RNA and 1A + T-rich region. Its comparison with over 52 mitogenomes of the order Artiodactyla, showed a conserved nature of gene organisation, codon usage, gene orientation and evolutionary rates of proteins except that M. indica possesses an extra copy of trnF. The complete mitogenome and protein-coding genes of M. indica were found to be highly A + T biased. Rate of protein evolution was highest in atp8 and lowest in cox3. Further, a higher purifying selection pressure was found to be acting on family Tragulidae compared to Bovidae and Cervidae. The phylogenetic analysis of M. indica placed the Tragulidae as sister-group of all other ruminants, similar to previous analyses. Moschiola forms the sister-group to the other two tragulid genera Tragulus (from Asia) and Hyemoschus (from Africa), which is unexpected as usually the Asian species are thought to form a monophyletic group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rama K Sarvani
- Laboratory for Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES), CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) Annexe 1, Hyderguda, Attapur, Hyderabad, 500048, India
| | - Drashti R Parmar
- Laboratory for Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES), CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) Annexe 1, Hyderguda, Attapur, Hyderabad, 500048, India
| | - Wajeeda Tabasum
- Laboratory for Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES), CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) Annexe 1, Hyderguda, Attapur, Hyderabad, 500048, India
| | - Neelima Thota
- Laboratory for Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES), CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) Annexe 1, Hyderguda, Attapur, Hyderabad, 500048, India
| | - Ara Sreenivas
- Laboratory for Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES), CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) Annexe 1, Hyderguda, Attapur, Hyderabad, 500048, India
| | - Ajay Gaur
- Laboratory for Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES), CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) Annexe 1, Hyderguda, Attapur, Hyderabad, 500048, India.
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Chen H, Ren Z, Zhao J, Zhang C, Yang X. Y-chromosome polymorphisms of the domestic Bactrian camel in China. J Genet 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s12041-017-0852-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Mohandesan E, Fitak RR, Corander J, Yadamsuren A, Chuluunbat B, Abdelhadi O, Raziq A, Nagy P, Stalder G, Walzer C, Faye B, Burger PA. Mitogenome Sequencing in the Genus Camelus Reveals Evidence for Purifying Selection and Long-term Divergence between Wild and Domestic Bactrian Camels. Sci Rep 2017; 7:9970. [PMID: 28855525 PMCID: PMC5577142 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-08995-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Accepted: 07/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The genus Camelus is an interesting model to study adaptive evolution in the mitochondrial genome, as the three extant Old World camel species inhabit hot and low-altitude as well as cold and high-altitude deserts. We sequenced 24 camel mitogenomes and combined them with three previously published sequences to study the role of natural selection under different environmental pressure, and to advance our understanding of the evolutionary history of the genus Camelus. We confirmed the heterogeneity of divergence across different components of the electron transport system. Lineage-specific analysis of mitochondrial protein evolution revealed a significant effect of purifying selection in the concatenated protein-coding genes in domestic Bactrian camels. The estimated dN/dS < 1 in the concatenated protein-coding genes suggested purifying selection as driving force for shaping mitogenome diversity in camels. Additional analyses of the functional divergence in amino acid changes between species-specific lineages indicated fixed substitutions in various genes, with radical effects on the physicochemical properties of the protein products. The evolutionary time estimates revealed a divergence between domestic and wild Bactrian camels around 1.1 [0.58-1.8] million years ago (mya). This has major implications for the conservation and management of the critically endangered wild species, Camelus ferus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elmira Mohandesan
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Vetmeduni Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria.
- Institute of Population Genetics, Vetmeduni Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria.
- Institute for Molecular Evolution and Development, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Robert R Fitak
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Jukka Corander
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Oslo, N-0317, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Helsinki, FIN-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Adiya Yadamsuren
- Mammalian Ecology Laboratory, Institute of Biology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Peace avenue-54b, Bayanzurh district, Ulaanbaatar, 210351, Mongolia
| | - Battsetseg Chuluunbat
- Laboratory of Genetics, Institute of Biology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Peace avenue-54b, Bayanzurh district, Ulaanbaatar, 210351, Mongolia
| | - Omer Abdelhadi
- University of Khartoum, Department for Meat Sciences, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Abdul Raziq
- Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water and Marine Sciences, Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD) Highway, Uthal, Pakistan
| | - Peter Nagy
- Farm and Veterinary Department, Emirates Industry for Camel Milk and Products, PO Box 294239, Dubai, Umm Nahad, United Arab Emirates
| | - Gabrielle Stalder
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Vetmeduni Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria
| | - Chris Walzer
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Vetmeduni Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria
- International Takhi Group - Mongolia, Baigal Ordon, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Bernard Faye
- CIRAD-ES, UMR 112, Campus International de Baillarguet, TA C/112A, 34398, Montpellier, France
| | - Pamela A Burger
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Vetmeduni Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria.
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Yi L, Ai Y, Ming L, Hai L, He J, Guo FC, Qiao XY, Ji R. Molecular diversity and phylogenetic analysis of domestic and wild Bactrian camel populations based on the mitochondrial ATP8 and ATP6 genes. Livest Sci 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2017.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Comparative analysis of fecal microbial communities in cattle and Bactrian camels. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0173062. [PMID: 28301489 PMCID: PMC5354269 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0173062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2016] [Accepted: 02/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Bactrian camels may have a unique gastrointestinal (GI) microbiome because of their distinctive digestive systems, unique eating habits and extreme living conditions. However, understanding of the microbial communities in the Bactrian camel GI tract is still limited. In this study, microbial communities were investigated by comparative analyses of 16S rRNA hypervariable region V4 sequences of fecal bacteria sampled from 94 animals in four population groups: Inner Mongolian cattle (IMG-Cattle), Inner Mongolian domestic Bactrian camels (IMG-DBC), Mongolian domestic Bactrian camels (MG-DBC), and Mongolian wild Bactrian camels (MG-WBC). A total of 2,097,985 high-quality reads were obtained and yielded 471,767,607 bases of sequence. Firmicutes was the predominant phylum in the population groups IMG-Cattle, IMG-DBC and MG-WBC, followed (except in the Inner Mongolian cattle) by Verrucomicrobia. Bacteroidetes were abundant in the IMG-DBC and MG-WBC populations. Hierarchical clustered heatmap analysis revealed that the microbial community composition within the three Bactrian camel groups was relatively similar, and somewhat distinct from that in the cattle. A similar result was determined by principal component analysis, in which the camels grouped together. We also found several species-specific differences in microbial communities at the genus level: for example, Desulfovibrio was abundant in the IMG-DBC and MG-WBC groups; Pseudomonas was abundant in the IMG-Cattle group; and Fibrobacter, Coprobacillus, and Paludibacter were scarce in the MG-WBC group. Such differences may be related to different eating habits and living conditions of the cattle and the various camel populations.
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Pauciullo A, Gauly M, Cosenza G, Wagner H, Erhardt G. Lama glama α S1-casein: Identification of new polymorphisms in the CSN1S1 gene. J Dairy Sci 2016; 100:1282-1289. [PMID: 27939542 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2016-11918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
South American camelids have been poorly genetically investigated and little information is available in llamas (Lama glama) regarding the diversity of the caseins at the protein and gene level. Exon skipping and duplication events previously reported in the αS1-casein gene (CSN1S1) led us to investigate the genetic variability at this locus. Seventy-two positive clones for the αS1-casein transcripts were analyzed and randomly sequenced. The comparative analysis of the sequences revealed 2 transitions, c.366A>G and c.690T>C, at the 10th nucleotide of exon 12 and 94 bp of exon 19, respectively. These SNP are responsible for 2 amino acid changes, Ile→Val in position 86 and Tyr→His in position 194 of the mature protein. Both polymorphisms clarify the genetic events behind the protein variants A and B. This result was confirmed by isoelectric focusing analysis of llama milk samples. Quick methods based on PCR-RFLP and allele-specific PCR were set up for allelic discrimination in a population of 128 animals. Based on genotyping results, 4 haplotypes were observed and the estimated frequencies indicated B as the most common haplotype (0.629) in the investigated population. These data add knowledge to the genetic variability of a species little investigated, and open opportunity for new investigation in the field of milk protein for South American camelids, including the possibility, in the future, to select alleles with favorable characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Pauciullo
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin, 10095, Grugliasco (TO), Italy; Institute for Animal Breeding and Genetics, Justus Liebig University, 35390, Gießen, Germany.
| | - M Gauly
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen, 39100, Bozen, Italy
| | - G Cosenza
- Department of Agriculture, University of Naples "Federico II" 80055, Portici (NA), Italy
| | - H Wagner
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Andrology of Large and Small Animals with ambulance, Justus Liebig University, 35392, Gießen, Germany
| | - G Erhardt
- Institute for Animal Breeding and Genetics, Justus Liebig University, 35390, Gießen, Germany
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Ming L, Yi L, Sa R, Wang ZX, Wang Z, Ji R. Genetic diversity and phylogeographic structure of Bactrian camels shown by mitochondrial sequence variations. Anim Genet 2016; 48:217-220. [PMID: 27775167 PMCID: PMC5347888 DOI: 10.1111/age.12511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The Bactrian camel includes various domestic (Camelus bactrianus) and wild (Camelus ferus) breeds that are important for transportation and for their nutritional value. However, there is a lack of extensive information on their genetic diversity and phylogeographic structure. Here, we studied these parameters by examining an 809‐bp mtDNA fragment from 113 individuals, representing 11 domestic breeds, one wild breed and two hybrid individuals. We found 15 different haplotypes, and the phylogenetic analysis suggests that domestic and wild Bactrian camels have two distinct lineages. The analysis of molecular variance placed most of the genetic variance (90.14%, P < 0.01) between wild and domestic camel lineages, suggesting that domestic and wild Bactrian camel do not have the same maternal origin. The analysis of domestic Bactrian camels from different geographical locations found there was no significant genetic divergence in China, Russia and Mongolia. This suggests a strong gene flow due to wide movement of domestic Bactrian camels.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Ming
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 010018 Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - L Yi
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 010018 Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - R Sa
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 010018 Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Z X Wang
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 010018 Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Z Wang
- Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 200031, Shanghai, China
| | - R Ji
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 010018 Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China.,Camel Research Institute of Inner Mongolia, 737300 Alashan, Inner Mongolia, China
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Burger PA. The history of Old World camelids in the light of molecular genetics. Trop Anim Health Prod 2016; 48:905-13. [PMID: 27048619 PMCID: PMC4884201 DOI: 10.1007/s11250-016-1032-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2015] [Accepted: 02/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Old World camels have come into the focus as sustainable livestock species, unique in their morphological and physiological characteristics and capable of providing vital products even under extreme environmental conditions. The evolutionary history of dromedary and Bactrian camels traces back to the middle Eocene (around 40 million years ago, mya), when the ancestors of Camelus emerged on the North American continent. While the genetic status of the two domestic species has long been established, the wild two-humped camel has only recently been recognized as a separate species, Camelus ferus, based on molecular genetic data. The demographic history established from genome drafts of Old World camels shows the independent development of the three species over the last 100,000 years with severe bottlenecks occurring during the last glacial period and in the recent past. Ongoing studies involve the immune system, relevant production traits, and the global population structure and domestication of Old World camels. Based on the now available whole genome drafts, specific metabolic pathways have been described shedding new light on the camels' ability to adapt to desert environments. These new data will also be at the origin for genome-wide association studies to link economically relevant phenotypes to genotypes and to conserve the diverse genetic resources in Old World camelids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela Anna Burger
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Vetmeduni Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria.
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Plasil M, Mohandesan E, Fitak RR, Musilova P, Kubickova S, Burger PA, Horin P. The major histocompatibility complex in Old World camelids and low polymorphism of its class II genes. BMC Genomics 2016; 17:167. [PMID: 26931144 PMCID: PMC4774177 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-2500-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2015] [Accepted: 02/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) is a genomic region containing genes with crucial roles in immune responses. MHC class I and class II genes encode antigen-presenting molecules expressed on the cell surface. To counteract the high variability of pathogens, the MHC evolved into a region of considerable heterogeneity in its organization, number and extent of polymorphism. Studies of MHCs in different model species contribute to our understanding of mechanisms of immunity, diseases and their evolution. Camels are economically important domestic animals and interesting biomodels. Three species of Old World camels have been recognized: the dromedary (Camelus dromedarius), Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) and the wild camel (Camelus ferus). Despite their importance, little is known about the MHC genomic region, its organization and diversity in camels. The objectives of this study were to identify, map and characterize the MHC region of Old World camelids, with special attention to genetic variation at selected class MHC II loci. RESULTS Physical mapping located the MHC region to the chromosome 20 in Camelus dromedarius. Cytogenetic and comparative analyses of whole genome sequences showed that the order of the three major sub-regions is "Centromere - Class II - Class III - Class I". DRA, DRB, DQA and DQB exon 2 sequences encoding the antigen binding site of the corresponding class II antigen presenting molecules showed high degree of sequence similarity and extensive allele sharing across the three species. Unexpectedly low extent of polymorphism with low numbers of alleles and haplotypes was observed in all species, despite different geographic origins of the camels analyzed. The DRA locus was found to be polymorphic, with three alleles shared by all three species. DRA and DQA sequences retrieved from ancient DNA samples of Camelus dromedarius suggested that additional polymorphism might exist. CONCLUSIONS This study provided evidence that camels possess an MHC comparable to other mammalian species in terms of its genomic localization, organization and sequence similarity. We described ancient variation at the DRA locus, monomorphic in most species. The extent of molecular diversity of MHC class II genes seems to be substantially lower in Old World camels than in other mammalian species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Plasil
- Department of Animal Genetics, Veterinary and Pharmaceutical University, Brno, Czech Republic.
- Ceitec VFU, RG Animal Immunogenomics, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Elmira Mohandesan
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Vetmeduni Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Institute of Population Genetics, Vetmeduni Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Robert R Fitak
- Institute of Population Genetics, Vetmeduni Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Petra Musilova
- Department of Genetics and Reproduction, Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Svatava Kubickova
- Department of Genetics and Reproduction, Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Pamela A Burger
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Vetmeduni Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Petr Horin
- Department of Animal Genetics, Veterinary and Pharmaceutical University, Brno, Czech Republic.
- Ceitec VFU, RG Animal Immunogenomics, Brno, Czech Republic.
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Heintzman PD, Zazula GD, Cahill JA, Reyes AV, MacPhee RDE, Shapiro B. Genomic Data from Extinct North American Camelops Revise Camel Evolutionary History. Mol Biol Evol 2015; 32:2433-40. [PMID: 26037535 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msv128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in paleogenomic technologies have enabled an increasingly detailed understanding of the evolutionary relationships of now-extinct mammalian taxa. However, a number of enigmatic Quaternary species have never been characterized with molecular data, often because available fossils are rare or are found in environments that are not optimal for DNA preservation. Here, we analyze paleogenomic data extracted from bones attributed to the late Pleistocene western camel, Camelops cf. hesternus, a species that was distributed across central and western North America until its extinction approximately 13,000 years ago. Despite a modal sequence length of only around 35 base pairs, we reconstructed high-coverage complete mitochondrial genomes and low-coverage partial nuclear genomes for each specimen. We find that Camelops is sister to African and Asian bactrian and dromedary camels, to the exclusion of South American camelids (llamas, guanacos, alpacas, and vicuñas). These results contradict previous morphology-based phylogenetic models for Camelops, which suggest instead a closer relationship between Camelops and the South American camelids. The molecular data imply a Late Miocene divergence of the Camelops clade from lineages that separately gave rise to the extant camels of Eurasia. Our results demonstrate the increasing capacity of modern paleogenomic methods to resolve evolutionary relationships among distantly related lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter D Heintzman
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz
| | - Grant D Zazula
- Yukon Palaeontology Program, Department of Tourism & Culture, Government of Yukon, Whitehorse, YT, Canada
| | - James A Cahill
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz
| | - Alberto V Reyes
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Ross D E MacPhee
- Department of Mammalogy, Division of Vertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY
| | - Beth Shapiro
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz UCSC Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz
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Reproductive status of Camelus bactrianus during early breeding season in India. ASIAN PACIFIC JOURNAL OF REPRODUCTION 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/s2305-0500(14)60060-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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Jun J, Cho YS, Hu H, Kim HM, Jho S, Gadhvi P, Park KM, Lim J, Paek WK, Han K, Manica A, Edwards JS, Bhak J. Whole genome sequence and analysis of the Marwari horse breed and its genetic origin. BMC Genomics 2014; 15 Suppl 9:S4. [PMID: 25521865 PMCID: PMC4290615 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-s9-s4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The horse (Equus ferus caballus) is one of the earliest domesticated species and has played an important role in the development of human societies over the past 5,000 years. In this study, we characterized the genome of the Marwari horse, a rare breed with unique phenotypic characteristics, including inwardly turned ear tips. It is thought to have originated from the crossbreeding of local Indian ponies with Arabian horses beginning in the 12th century. Results We generated 101 Gb (~30 × coverage) of whole genome sequences from a Marwari horse using the Illumina HiSeq2000 sequencer. The sequences were mapped to the horse reference genome at a mapping rate of ~98% and with ~95% of the genome having at least 10 × coverage. A total of 5.9 million single nucleotide variations, 0.6 million small insertions or deletions, and 2,569 copy number variation blocks were identified. We confirmed a strong Arabian and Mongolian component in the Marwari genome. Novel variants from the Marwari sequences were annotated, and were found to be enriched in olfactory functions. Additionally, we suggest a potential functional genetic variant in the TSHZ1 gene (p.Ala344>Val) associated with the inward-turning ear tip shape of the Marwari horses. Conclusions Here, we present an analysis of the Marwari horse genome. This is the first genomic data for an Asian breed, and is an invaluable resource for future studies of genetic variation associated with phenotypes and diseases in horses.
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Demographic history and gene flow during silkworm domestication. BMC Evol Biol 2014; 14:185. [PMID: 25123546 PMCID: PMC4236568 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-014-0185-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2014] [Accepted: 08/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gene flow plays an important role in domestication history of domesticated species. However, little is known about the demographic history of domesticated silkworm involving gene flow with its wild relative. RESULTS In this study, four model-based evolutionary scenarios to describe the demographic history of B. mori were hypothesized. Using Approximate Bayesian Computation method and DNA sequence data from 29 nuclear loci, we found that the gene flow at bottleneck model is the most likely scenario for silkworm domestication. The starting time of silkworm domestication was estimated to be approximate 7,500 years ago; the time of domestication termination was 3,984 years ago. Using coalescent simulation analysis, we also found that bi-directional gene flow occurred during silkworm domestication. CONCLUSIONS Estimates of silkworm domestication time are nearly consistent with the archeological evidence and our previous results. Importantly, we found that the bi-directional gene flow might occur during silkworm domestication. Our findings add a dimension to highlight the important role of gene flow in domestication of crops and animals.
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Evaluating the roles of directed breeding and gene flow in animal domestication. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:6153-8. [PMID: 24753599 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1312984110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
For the last 150 y scholars have focused upon the roles of intentional breeding and genetic isolation as fundamental to understanding the process of animal domestication. This analysis of ethnoarchaeological, archaeological, and genetic data suggests that long-term gene flow between wild and domestic stocks was much more common than previously assumed, and that selective breeding of females was largely absent during the early phases of animal domestication. These findings challenge assumptions about severe genetic bottlenecks during domestication, expectations regarding monophyletic origins, and interpretations of multiple domestications. The findings also raise new questions regarding ways in which behavioral and phenotypic domestication traits were developed and maintained.
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Chuluunbat B, Charruau P, Silbermayr K, Khorloojav T, Burger PA. Genetic diversity and population structure of Mongolian domestic Bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus). Anim Genet 2014; 45:550-8. [PMID: 24749721 PMCID: PMC4171754 DOI: 10.1111/age.12158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/24/2014] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The tradition of animal husbandry in the context of a nomadic lifestyle has been of great significance in the Mongolian society. Both Bactrian camels and horses have been invaluable for the survival and development of human activities in the harsh arid environment of the Mongolian steppe. As camels offer unique and sustainable opportunities for livestock production in marginal agro-ecological zones, we investigated the current genetic diversity of three local Mongolian camel breeds and compared their levels of variation with common native Mongolian camels distributed throughout the country. Based on mitochondrial and nuclear markers, we found levels of genetic diversity in Mongolian populations similar to that reported for Chinese Bactrian camels and for dromedaries. Little differentiation was detected between single breeds, except for a small group originating from the northwestern Mongolian Altai. We found neither high inbreeding levels in the different breeds nor evidence for a population decline. Although the Mongolian camel census size has severely declined over the past 20 years, our analyses suggest that there still exists a stable population with adequate genetic variation for continued sustainable utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Chuluunbat
- Genetics laboratory of Institute Biology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Peace avenue-54b, Ulaanbaatar, 210351, Mongolia
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