Prevalence of the AMHR2 mutation in Miniature Schnauzers and genetic investigation of a Belgian Malinois with persistent Müllerian duct syndrome

Persistent Müllerian duct syndrome (PMDS) is a sex‐limited disorder in which males develop portions of the female reproductive tract. Important consequences of PMDS are cryptorchidism and its sequelae of infertility and increased risk of testicular cancer. Anti‐Müllerian hormone (AMH) and its receptor (AMHR2) induce the regression of the Müllerian ducts in male embryos. In Miniature Schnauzer dogs, the genetic basis has been identified as an autosomal recessive nonsense mutation in AMHR2, but the allele frequency of the mutation is unknown. Thus, the primary objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of the AMHR2 mutation in North American Miniature Schnauzers, in order to ascertain the value of genetic testing in this breed. An additional objective was to determine whether mutations in AMH or AMHR2 were responsible for PMDS in a Belgian Malinois; this would aid development of a genetic test for the Belgian Malinois breed. Genomic DNA from 216 Miniature Schnauzers (including one known PMDS case) was genotyped for the AMHR2 mutation, and DNA from a single PMDS‐affected Belgian Malinois was sequenced for all coding exons of AMH and AMHR2. The Miniature Schnauzer cohort had an AMHR2 mutation allele frequency of 0.16 and a carrier genotypic frequency of 0.27. The genetic basis for PMDS in the Belgian Malinois was not determined, as no coding or splicing mutations were identified in either AMH or AMHR2. These findings support a benefit to AMHR2 mutation testing Miniature Schnauzers used for breeding or with cryptorchidism.     

Effect of housing system on reproductive behaviour and on some endocrinological and seminal parameters of donkey stallions

Reproductive management of male donkeys employed for artificial breeding has been poorly studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of housing system, with the animals grouped together in a paddock or kept in individual boxes, on sexual behaviour, cortisol and testosterone concentration and seminal characteristics of adult male donkeys. The study included four Amiata donkey jacks (stallions) from which ejaculates, saliva and blood were collected during two distinct 3 weeks periods, one in the group and one in the box housing system. Time needed for semen collection was shorter when donkeys were kept in paddocks compared to when they were kept in single boxes (14:57 ± 07:27 and 20:52 ± 09:31 min, p < .05). Native semen characteristics were not influenced by housing system, while cooled preservation in an Equitainer^® showed that sperm motility parameters were significantly higher during the paddock period compared to the box period. Salivary cortisol was influenced by housing system, both before and 60 min after ejaculation, being statistically higher when donkeys were housed in paddocks. On the contrary, overall and basal testosterone concentrations were significantly higher when animals were kept in boxes. In conclusion, in the present study, good quality semen could be successfully collected from donkeys irrespective of the housing system despite some differences in hormone concentrations.     

Differentiation of Australian isolates of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis

Objectives To examine strain variation amongst Australian isolates of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis .
Design Pulsed field gel electrophoresis was optimised for differentiation of M paratuberculosis strains, and this typing technique was then applied to a collection of Australian isolates.
Procedure DNAs from 35 Australian isolates of M para-tuberculosis and a UK reference strain were digested with one or other of three restriction endonucleases. The banding patterns obtained after pulsed field gel electrophoresis of the DNA fragments were compared.
Results The Australian isolates were divided into two groups on the basis of their DNA banding pattern. Both were different from the UK reference strain. Seven isolates from cattle in Victoria and the Northern Territory had the same pattern as five isolates from alpacas in Victoria and Western Australia. Another 20 isolates from cattle in Victoria, Western Australia and the Northern Territory had the same pattern as isolates from two sheep and a goat in New South Wales.
Conclusion Pulsed field gel electrophoresis was a useful tool for strain typing of M paratuberculosis , and could be used to study the transmission of strains in Australia.