羊重要性状全基因组关联分析研究进展

全基因组关联分析(genome-wide association study, GWAS)是一种复杂性状功能基因鉴定的分析策略,已成为挖掘畜禽重要经济性状候选基因的重要手段。随着绵羊和山羊基因组完成和公布,以及不同密度的SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism)芯片的推出并进行商业化推广,不仅大大丰富了羊标记辅助选择可利用的分子标记,而且还为开展重要性状的分子机理的探索提供了重要技术支撑。本文主要针对羊角、羊毛、羊奶、生长发育、肉质、繁殖和疾病等重要性状的GWAS研究所用的群体、主要研究方法和研究结果进行了综述,并对GWAS方法研究现状进行了归纳,以期为进一步利用GWAS进行羊的各种性状的遗传基础研究提供参考。     

纳米硒对山羊生长、血清抗氧化酶、生长激素和胰岛素的影响

研究纳米硒对山羊生长性能、山羊抗氧化能力、生长激素和胰岛素的影响。选择体重相近、体格健壮的太行青山羊公羊90只,随机分为9组,分别喂以基础日粮和添加不同水平(0.03 mg/kg DM,0.05 mg/kg DM,0.1 mg/kg DM,0.3 mg/kg DM,0.5 mg/kg DM,1 mg/kg DM,3 mg/kg DM和5 mg/kg DM)纳米硒的饲料,实验期95 d。结果表明:日粮添加纳米硒显著提高山羊的生长性能(P<0.05)、血清超氧化物歧化酶和谷胱甘肽过氧化酶活性(P<0.05),当添加水平在0.3 mg/kg DM~1 mg/kg DM时,血清超氧化物歧化酶和谷胱甘肽过氧化酶活性保持高峰平台;日粮添加纳米硒显著降低血清谷胱甘肽硫转移酶活性和丙二醛含量(P<0.05),并在添加水平为0.3 mg/kg DM~1 mg/kg DM时保持低谷状态;日粮添加纳米硒显著提高全血硒、生长激素和胰岛素的浓度(P<0.05)。结论:日粮添加0.3 mg/kg DM~1 mg/kg DM,增强了山羊机体抗氧化功能,促进了生长激素和胰岛素的分泌,从而促进山羊的生长。     

HOT SPOTS OF GENETIC DIVERSITY DESCENDED FROM MULTIPLE PLEISTOCENE REFUGIA IN AN ALPINE UNGULATE

Species that inhabit naturally fragmented environments are expected to be spatially structured and exhibit reduced genetic diversity at the periphery of their range. Patterns of differentiation may also reflect historical processes such as recolonization from glacial refugia. We examined the relative importance of these factors in shaping the spatial patterns of genetic differentiation across the range of an alpine specialist, the North American mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus). Contrary to fossil evidence that suggests a single southern refugium, we detected evidence for additional refugia in northern British Columbia and the Alaskan coast using both mitochondrial and microsatellite DNA. A core area of elevated genetic diversity characterized both regions, and molecular dating suggested a recent Pleistocene split was followed by demographic expansion. Across their range, mountain goats were highly genetically structured and displayed the expected pattern of declining diversity toward the periphery. Gene flow was high within contiguous mountain ranges, but cross‐assignments paradoxically suggest that long‐distance contemporary dispersal movements are not uncommon. These results improve our understanding of how historical vicariance and contemporary fragmentation influence population differentiation, and have implications for conserving the adaptive potential of alpine populations and habitat.     

内蒙古白绒山羊若干数量性状遗传参数的研究

本研究应用女母回归法、公畜内女母回归法、半同胞相关法和单元内半同胞相关法对内蒙古阿尔巴斯白绒山羊的产绒量、绒厚、毛长、体重、绒伸直长度和细度等六个性状的遗传参数进行了估测。结果表明：（1）绒量遗传力介于0.26～0.45之间;绒厚遗传力介于0.33～0.56之间;毛长遗传力介于0.23～0.32之间;体重的遗传力介于0.16～0.36之间;绒伸直长度遗传力为0.24;绒细度的遗传力为0.14。（2）产绒量与绒厚、绒厚与毛长、长度与绒厚、长度与毛长的遗传相关分别介于0.33～0.79、0.51～0.69、0.38～0.60、0.74～0.90之间,存在较强的正向遗传相关;绒量与毛长、绒量与体重、绒厚与体重、细度与绒厚、细度与绒量、细度与体重的遗传相关分别为0.11～0.38、0.06～0.17、0.15～0.36、0.02～0.11、0.24～0.35、0.13～0.32之间,存在较弱的正向遗传相关;毛长与体重、长度与绒量、长度与体重、长度与细度、细度与毛长之间的遗传相关介于-0.14～-0.28、-0.09～-0.20、-0.18～-0.23、-0.27～-0.31、-0.17～-0.28之间,存在中等偏弱的负向遗传相关。（3）绒量、绒厚、毛长、体重的重复率分别为0.42、0.27、0.59、0.18。 Abstract：Daughter-dam regression, daughter-dam regression wit hin sire, half-sib correlation and intro-unit half?sib correlation were used in the study to estimate genetic parameters for several traits of Albas type of In ner Mongolia cashmere goats, Traits included in this paper were cashmere yield ( CY),cashmere thickness(CT),staple length(SL),body eight(BW),cashmere stretched length(CSL) and cashmere fineness(CF).The results showed: (1)Heritabilities for CY,CT,SL and BW ranged between 0.26 and 0.45,between 0.33 and 0.56, between 0.23 and 0.32 and between 0.16 and 0.36 respectively; Heritabilities for SL and CF were 0.24 and 0.14 respectively.(2)Genetic correlations between CY and CT,between CT and SL ,between SL and CT and between CST and SL ranged 0.33～0. 79, 0.51～0.69, 0.38～0.60, and 0.74～0.90,respectively,and they belonged to high positive one;Genetic correlations between CY and SL, between CY and betw een CY and BW,between CT and BW, between CF and CT, between CF and CY and betwe en CF and BW ranged 0.11～0.38, 0.06～0.17,0.15～0.36, 0.02～0.11, 0.24 ～0.35 and 0.13～0.32,respectively, and they belonged to low positive correla tion;Genetic correlations between SL and BW, between SL and CY,between SL ?and BW, between? SL and CF and between CF and SL ranged -0.14～-0.28, -0.09～-0 .20, -0.18～-0.23,-0.27～-0.31,and -0.17～-0.28,respectively,and they belonged to low negative correlations.(3)Repeatabilities for CY,CT,SL and BW were 0.42,0.27,0.59 and 0.18,respectively.     

Genetic diversity and investigation of polledness in divergent goat populations using 52 088 SNPs

The recent availability of a genome‐wide SNP array for the goat genome dramatically increases the power to investigate aspects of genetic diversity and to conduct genome‐wide association studies in this important domestic species. We collected and analysed genotypes from 52 088 SNPs in Boer, Cashmere and Rangeland goats that had both polled and horned individuals. Principal components analysis revealed a clear genetic division between animals for each population, and model‐based clustering successfully detected evidence of admixture that matched aspects of their recorded history. For example, shared co‐ancestry was detected, suggesting Boer goats have been introgressed into the Rangeland population. Further, allele frequency data successfully tracked the altered genetic profile that has taken place after 40 years of breeding Australian Cashmere goats using the Rangeland animals as the founding population. Genome‐wide association mapping of the POLL locus revealed a strong signal on goat chromosome 1. The 769‐kb critical interval contained the polled intersex syndrome locus, confirming the genetic basis in non‐European animals is the same as identified previously in Saanen goats. Interestingly, analysis of the haplotypes carried by a small set of sex‐reversed animals, known to be associated with polledness, revealed some animals carried the wild‐type chromosome associated with the presence of horns. This suggests a more complex basis for the relationship between polledness and the intersex condition than initially thought while validating the application of the goat SNP50 BeadChip for fine‐mapping traits in goat.     

南江黄羊GH基因外显子4单核苷酸多态与生长性能的关联分析

以405只南江黄羊为试验动物,以生长激素(GH)为候选基因,利用PCR-SSCP技术和DNA序列分析技术筛选其多态位点,并与南江黄羊的生长性状进行关联分析,以期筛选与南江黄羊生长性状相关的分子标记.序列分析比对结果发现GH基因外显子4有个4 SNPs (27 G/A、68 C/A、136 G/A、170 C/T),其中...     

Costing eradications of alien mammals from islands

The ability to estimate costs of alien species eradications is essential for a rigorous assessment of priorities for island restoration. Using a global data file from 41 islands, mostly gleaned from the 'grey' literature, we show that the cost of vertebrate eradications can be satisfactorily predicted if island area and species to be eradicated are known. About 72% of the variation in cost can be explained by island area, whereas, for a given area, rodent eradications are 1.7–3.0 times more expensive than ungulate eradications. Costs per hectare decrease with island size. Restricting the analysis to roughly half the data set, the relatively homogeneous half concerned with New Zealand islands, we identify two further influences on cost: date of eradication and distance to the main airport (an indicator of remoteness). For a given area, costs have declined over time but increase with island remoteness. This information therefore provides conservation planners with a robust, if preliminary, estimate of the cost of any proposed eradication programme.     

Assessment of lifetime performance of small ruminants under different feeding systems

Evaluation of lifetime productivity of individual animals in response to various interventions allows assessment of long-term investment opportunities for farmers. In order to gain a better understanding of promising feed interventions for improvement of small ruminant production in Southwestern Nigeria, a dynamic modelling approach was used to explore the effect of different feeding strategies on the lifetime productivity of West African Dwarf (WAD) goats. Modifications were made to the current version of Livestock Simulator developed for cattle production to simulate goat production systems particularly for WAD goats. Effects of changes in input parameters (quality of feed and potential adult weight) confirmed the sensitivity of the modelled weight development and reproductive performance. The values of simulated model outputs corresponded well with observed values for most of the variables, except for the pre-weaning mortality rate in the cut-and-carry system where a wide discrepancy between simulated (2.1%) and observed (23%) data was found. The scenario analysis showed that simulated goats in the free grazing system attained sexual maturity and kidded much later than those in the grazing with supplementation and the cut-and-carry systems. The simulated results suggested that goats require supplementation with protein and energy sources, in order to promote lifetime productivity, early sexual maturity and higher birth weight. In terms of economic returns based on feed cost alone, the moderately intense system produced the most profit. We therefore conclude that grazing with adequate supplementation using farm-generated feed resources offers an opportunity for improving smallholder goat production systems in West Africa.     

A study on the determination of risk factors associated with babesiosis and prevalence of Babesia sp., by PCR amplification, in small ruminants from Southern Punjab (Pakistan)

Babesiosis is a parasitic infection due to the multiplication of tick borne parasite, Babesia sp., in erythrocytes of host, which includes a wide variety of vertebrates including small ruminants causing decreased livestock output and hence economic losses. The objective of the present study was to establish a PCR based method for the detection of Babesia sp. in small ruminant population in Southern Punjab and to determine the risk factors involve in the spread of babesiosis. A total of 107 blood samples were collected from 40 sheep and 67 goats in seven districts of Southern Punjab from randomly selected herds. Data on the characteristics of the animals and the herd were collected through questionnaires. 36 blood samples (34% of total) produced the DNA fragment specific for 18S rRNA gene of Babesia sp., by PCR amplification, of which 20 were sheep and 16 were goats. Samples from all seven district contained Babesia positive samples and prevalence varied between 18 to 68%. It was observed that male animals (P = 0.009) and young animals under one year of age (P = 0.01) were more prone to the parasite. It was observed that herds consist of more than 15 animals (P = 0.007), composed of mixed species of small ruminants (P = 0.022), associated with dogs (P = 0.003) and dogs having ticks on their bodies (P = 0.011) were among the major risk factors for the spread of babesiosis in small ruminants.     

Sheep and goat immune responses to nose bot infestation: a review

Oestrus ovis L. (Diptera: Oestridae) is a cosmopolitan agent of myiasis in sheep and goats. The parasitic phase begins after adult females deposit first-stage larvae (L1) into the nostrils of hosts; these larvae develop into L2 and L3 in the nasal and sinus horn cavities. Sneezing and nasal discharges are the major clinical signs in infected animals. The pathogenesis of O. ovis infection is caused by: (a) the trauma resulting from the mechanical action of spines and hooks during larval movement on mucosal membranes, and, more importantly, (b) an allergenic reaction provoked by molecules excreted/secreted by larvae, of which salivary antigens are those mainly recognized by the host's immune system. The recruitment of immune reactive cells increases gradually from the nasal to sinus cavities in infected hosts. Mast cells, eosinophils, macrophages and lymphocytes are always more numerous in infected than non-infected animals. Humoral (antibody) systemic response of immunoglobulin G (IgG) usually reaches seroconversion 2-4 weeks post-first infection and the highest levels are observed during the development of L2 and L3 larvae. Local antibody responses include specific IgG, which has been found to negatively correlate with larval survival and development. Hypersensitivity reaction, immunomodulation, immunization trials and mixed infections of O. ovis and helminths are discussed.