Banteng and Bali cattle in Indonesia: status and forecasts

Bali cattle still represents 27% of the total cattle population in Indonesia, and it is considered the pillar breed for small farmers. Moreover, it is a breed of evolutionary importance regarding its direct ancestry from Banteng. However, there is a need for the establishment of a rational system for the evaluation of breeding soundness for indigenous Bali bulls to be used as sires for artificial insemination breeding programmes. Moreover, there is a need for cryobanking of well-identified genetic resources pertaining their use in evolutionary research and application as essential germplasm in breeding programmes.     

Prevalence of diagnostic characteristics indicating canine autoimmune lymphocytic thyroiditis in giant schnauzer and hovawart dogs

O bjectives : To investigate prevalence of autoantibodies to thyroglobulin (TgAA) and/or elevated levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), indicating canine autoimmune lymphocytic thyroiditis (CLT) and/or hypothyroidism, in two high-risk dog breeds.
M ethods : A cohort study was conducted in two birth cohorts of giant schnauzer and hovawart dogs. The cohorts were three to four and six to seven years of age at the time of blood sampling and screening for TgAA and TSH levels. Blood sampling was accompanied by one initial and one follow-up questionnaire to the dog owners. A total number of 236 giant schnauzers and 95 hovawarts were included in the study.
R esults : Seventeen (7.2 per cent) giant schnauzers and three (3·2 per cent) hovawarts had been diagnosed as hypothyroid at the time of sampling. Out of the remaining dogs, 22 giant schnauzers (10·0 per cent) and nine hovawarts (10·1 per cent) had elevated TgAA and/or TSH levels. Prevalence of elevated TgAA and TSH levels varied with age.
C linical S ignificance : The high prevalence of diagnostic characteristics indicating CLT/hypothyroidism in these two breeds suggests a strong genetic predisposition. It would be advisable to screen potential breeding stock for TSH and TgAA as a basis for genetic health programmes to reduce prevalence of CLT in these breeds.     

Presence of the di-leucine motif in the cytoplasmic tail of the pig FcRn alpha chain

The sequence of the pig FcRn alpha chain was recently published. The lack of a conserved di-leucine motif in the cytoplasmic tail suggests a rare polymorphism in the described animal, alternatively, a sequencing error. We therefore cloned and sequenced the pig FcRn alpha chain. Our sequence, along with a previous NCBI GenBank submission and five pig derived EST clones clearly demonstrate the presence of di-leucine motif in the cytoplasmic tail of the pig FcRn. No polymorphism in the cytoplasmic tail-encoding region was found in 25 animals from six pig breeds based on single-stranded conformation polymorphism and sequencing analysis, suggesting that the previously described pig FcRn alpha chain may represent a sequencing error in the 3' portion of the gene.     

Performance of the Pseudomonas chlororaphis biocontrol agent MA 342 against cereal seed-borne diseases in field experiments

The bacterial biocontrol agent Pseudomonas chlororaphis, strain MA 342, was tested for activity against a number of cereal seed-borne diseases in a total of 105 field experiments carried out at different locations in Sweden during the years 1991-1996. Bacterial liquid culture was directly applied to pathogen-infested seeds of barley, oats, wheat and rye without additives. The seeds were then dried and sown in field together with fungicide-treated and untreated seeds used as controls. The bacterization controlled seed-borne diseases caused by Drechslera (Pyrenophora) graminea, D. teres, D. avenae, Ustilago avenae, U. hordei, and Tilletia caries, as effectively as guazatine + imazalil, and these effects were consistent over the years and over varying climatic zones. Diseases caused by pathogens like U. nuda, soil-borne T. caries and T. contraversa were not controlled and the bacterization gave less than full effect against diseases caused by Microdochium (Fusarium) nivale, and Bipolaris sorokiniana (Cochliobolus sativus). Bacterized seeds could be stored dry for at least two years without losing the disease suppressing effect of the bacterial treatment, when tested in the field.     

Association of the transferrin locus on chromosome 13 with early body weights in pigs

SUMMARY: The effect of the genotypes of five different blood protein loci (α1B-glycoprotein, A1BG; glucose phosphate isomerase, GPI; phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, PGD; postalbumin 1A, PO1A; transferrin, TF) on early body-weight traits was studied in one large population of Swedish Yorkshire breed pigs. A highly significant association was observed, between the transferrin genotypes and the piglet body weights, at 6 and 9 weeks of age. The TF BB type pigs were heavier than those of TF AB types at 3, 6, and 9 weeks of age, by 130, 340, and 370 g, respectively. In the light of previously published data, it was discussed that TF is an additional chromosome 13 marker that may affect early body weights in pigs. The other four loci studied, located on chromosomes 6 and 7, did not show any significant effect. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG: Zusammenh?nge zwischen Transferrinlocus an Chromosom 13 und Ferkelgewichten Die Wirkung von fünf verschiedenen Blutproteinloci (αB-Glykoprotein, A1BG; Glukose Phosphat Isomerase, GPI; Phosphoglukonat Dehydrogenase, PGD; Postalbumin 1A, PO1A; Transferrin, TF) auf Ferkelwichte wurde bei Schwedischen Yorkshire Schweinen untersucht. Der Zusammenhang zwischen Transferrin Genotypen und 6 und 9 Wochen Gewichten war hochsignifikant, TF BB Ferkel waren bei 3, 6 und 9 Wochen Alter um 130, 340 und 370 g schwerer als TF AB Ferkel. In zusammenhang mit früheren Studien wird TF als ein weiterer Chromosom 13 Marker für Ferkelgewicht er?rtert. Die anderen vier Loci an Chromosomen 6 bzw. 7 zeigten keine signifikante Wirkung.     

Two cases of reciprocal translocations in domestic pigs producing small litters

SUMMARY: Two boars of Finnish Yorkshire breed were selected for chromosomal analysis because of their small litters. One had a complex three breakpoint reciprocal translocation where the small distal chromosome segments were fused in new combinations between autosomes 2,9 and 14. This boar with a 2n = 38,XY,t(2;9;14)(q23;q22;q25) karyotype had produced approximately 3.3 piglets per litter and its fertility was reduced by 70% compared to average of litter size in Finnish Yorkshire breed pigs. In another Finnish Yorkshire breed boar, the long arm of autosome 7 had broken and attached to the terminal end of autosome 15. The boar had a 2n = 38,XY, rcp(7q-;15q+)(q24;q26) karyotype. The average of piglets per litter sired by this boar was 5.2 and the litter size was reduced by approximately 50%. The chromosomal rearrangements t(2;9;14) was inherited by four of the boar's offspring studied from two whole litters having seven piglets altogether. Meiotic chromosomes were analysed conventionally from one male translocation carrier offspring of the t(2;9;14) boar. Total sperm count and progressive motility of spermatozoa were within normal limits in one male translocation carrier offspring of the t(2;9;14) boar and in the rcp(7q-;15q+) boar. The two reciprocal translocations seem to have arisen spontaneously in these two boars. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG: Zwei F?lle reziproker Translokationen bei Ebern mit kleinen Nachkommen Würfen Von zwei Finnischen Yorkshire Ebern hatte einer drei komplexe reziproke Translokationen, wo kurze distale Chromosomensegmente zu neuen Kombinatioenen zwischen Autosomen 2, 9 und 14 fusioniert waren. Der Eber mit 2n = 38,XY,t(2;9;14)(q23;q22;q25) Karyotyp hatte Nachkommenwürfe mit etwa 3.3 Ferkel weniger und 70% Fruchtbarkeit der bei dieser Rasse normalen. In einem anderen Eber war der lange Arm von Chromosom 7 gebrochen und am Ende von Chromosom 15: 2n = 38,XY, rcp(7q-; 15q+)(q24;q26) Karyotyp. Nachkommenwurfgr??e war 5.2. Das chromosomale Rearrangement t(2;9;14) wurde an 4 Nachkommen in zwei Würfen mit zusammen 7 Ferkel vererbt. Meiotische Chromosomen wurden bei einem m?nnlichen Translokationstr?ger dieser Nachkommen analysiert. Gesamtspermienenzahl und ihre Vorw?rtsbewegung waren in normalen Grenzen bei diesem Nahkommen ebenso wie beim rcp(7q-;15q+) Eber. Die zwei reciproken Translokationen scheinen spontan entstanden zu sein.     

Moss-Erwinia pathosystem reveals possible similarities in pathogenesis and pathogen defense in vascular and nonvascular plants

Vascular plants have various inducible resistance mechanisms as defense against pathogens. Mosses, small nonvascular plants (subkingdom Bryophyta), have been little studied in regard to their pathogens or modes of defense. Data here show that Erwinia carotovora, a bacterial plant pathogen that causes softrot in many dicotyledonous plants, can also cause soft rot symptoms in the moss Physcomitrella patens. Infection of moss by E. carotovora required pathogenicity factors similar to those required to infect vascular plants and, again as in vascular plants, salicylic acid (SA) induced moss to inhibit tissue maceration by Erwinia. These data reveal that SA-dependent defense pathways may have evolved before differentiation of vascular and nonvascular plants.