Climate change is an imminent threat to livestock production. One adaptation strategy is selection for heat tolerance. While it is established that the ATP1A1 gene and its product play an important role in the response to many stressors, there has been no attempt to characterize the sequence or to perform expression profiling of the gene in production animals. We undertook a field experiment to compare the expression profiles of ATP1A1 in heat-tolerant Vechur and Kasaragod cattle (Bos taurus indicus) with the profile of a heat-susceptible crossbreed (B. t. taurus × B. t. indicus). The cattle were exposed to heat stress while on pasture in the hot summer season. The environmental stress was quantified using the temperature humidity index (THI), while the heat tolerance of each breed was assessed using a heat tolerance coefficient (HTC). The ATP1A1 mRNA of Vechur cattle was amplified from cDNA and sequenced. The HTC varied significantly between the breeds and with time-of-day (p < 0.01). The breed–time-of-day interaction was also significant (p < 0.01). The relative expression of ATP1A1 differed between heat-tolerant and heat-susceptible breeds (p = 0.02). The expression of ATP1A1 at 08:00, 10:00 and 12:00, and the breed–time-of-day interaction, were not significant. The nucleotide sequence of Vechur ATP1A1 showed 99% homology with the B. t. taurus sequence. The protein sequence showed 98% homology with B. t. taurus cattle and with B. grunniens (yak) and 97.7% homology with Ovis aries (sheep). A molecular clock analysis revealed evidence of divergent adaptive evolution of the ATP1A1 gene favoring climate resilience in Vechur cattle. These findings further our knowledge of the relationship between the ATP1A1 gene and heat tolerance in phenotypically incongruent animals. We propose that ATP1A1 could be used in marker assisted selection (MAS) for heat tolerance.

In spite of increase in milk production, dairy farmers suffer huge economic losses due to mastitis even in very well organized and modern farms. It has been observed that with the increase in the ability of milk production, dairy animals become more susceptible to mastitis. One of the most common causes of mastitis is infection of the mammary gland caused by bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli responsible for invoking sub-clinical and clinical mastitis, respectively. The resistivity or susceptibility of species/breeds towards mastitis depends on mode and intensity of immune response to invading pathogens. Inflammation of the mammary tissue results in the release of several cytokines, among which release of interleukin 10 (IL-10) has been identified as an important cytokine for the control of immune response. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the level of IL-10 expression when Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) isolated from Crossbred cattle, Tharparkar cattle and Murrah buffalo were stimulated by antigens obtained from Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The results demonstrated deviations in the level of IL-10 expression among these breeds and species in response to the stimulation by the same dose of antigens. Abbreviation: CMT (California Mastitis Test); ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay); LPS (Lipopolysaccharide); LTA (Lipoteichoic acid); PBMCs (Peripheral Blood Mononuclear cells); PGN (Peptidoglycan); SCC (Somatic Cell Count)

The present investigation was performed to compare the global gene expression profile in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of Bos indicus and crossbred (Bos taurus × B. indicus) cattle. Previously, several studies revealed the disease tolerance potential of B. indicus cattle but underlying genetic mechanism is still not fully explored. The PBMCs model was used for this investigation as it plays crucial role in the immune system regulation. Transcriptomic analysis revealed total 6767 significantly differentially expressed transcripts (fold change (absolute) >2.0, p < .05). In addition, 4149 transcripts were upregulated, 2618 transcripts were downregulated and fold change (absolute) of differentially expressed transcript varied from −223.32 to 213.63. Functional annotation analysis of differentially expressed genes confirmed their role in various molecular pathways viz. innate immune response, antigen processing and presentation, MHC protein complex, defense response to bacterium, regulation of immune response, positive regulation of JAK-STAT cascade, cytoskeletal protein binding, etc. Protein–protein interaction network analysis provided understanding of inter-relationship of immune genes with differentially expressed genes. In conclusion, this study could provide comprehensive information about the dysregulated genes and biological pathways in PBMCs which might be responsible for disease tolerance in B. indicus cattle.

An insertion/deletion (InDel) polymorphism study of PR/SET domain family 6 (PRDM6), myostatin (MSTN) and insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1) genes was conducted in Malabari and Attappady black goats. An association study of identified InDels and body measurement traits was also performed. Body measurements included body length, chest diameter, chest depth, canon circumference, hip width, and hip height at the hip cross. The body trunk index, the body length index, the canon circumference index, and the chest width index were calculated. The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) was tested using a Chi-square test. The observed heterozygosity (Ho), expected heterozygosity (He), and polymorphism information content (PIC) were calculated. A significant difference in body measurements was found across breeds, ages, and breed x age interactions. The PRDM6 InDel was also associated with body measurement traits, such as body height, canon circumference and canon circumference index. In both Malabari and Attappadi black MSTN and PRDM6 InDels were in a state of HWE, while IGF2BP1 InDels were not. Indel markers found in the present study may be used for marker-assisted selection of growth traits among goats.

In the present study, next generation sequencing was employed to identify and explore the differential expression profiles of microRNAs (miRNAs) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of crossbred (B. taurus x B. indicus) and Vechur (B. indicus) cattle in response to the bacterial endotoxin-lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The PBMCs from adult apparently healthy female crossbred cows and Vechur cattle, a native cattle breed of Kerala, India were stimulated with 10 μg/mL of LPS for 6 h. Among the differentially expressed miRNAs, the expression of 13 miRNAs showed statistically significant up regulation while, significant decrease in the expression of 15 miRNAs was noticed in LPS treated PBMCs of Vechur cattle compared to crossbred cows. The expression profiling of miRNA, bta-miR-375, expression of which was found to be significantly down regulated in LPS treated PBMCs of Vechur cattle with respect to crossbred cattle by the NGS studies, is presented in the present manuscript. The decrease in expression of bta-miR-375 noticed by NGS was in accordance with the results of quantitative real time PCR assay. Functional gene enrichment analysis and pathway analysis revealed significant enrichment of predicted targets of bta-miR-375 in many immune related and cell signalling mechanisms. In addition, over representation of targets of bta-miR-375 was also noticed in pathogenesis of many of the bovine diseases. The study could also identify differences in the expression of cytokines, viz. Tumour Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNFα), Interleukin 4 (IL-4) and Interferon-γ (IFNγ) between LPS treated and untreated PBMCs of crossbred and Vechur cattle.

Hybridisation between wild and domestic canids presents an increasing conservation concern, particularly in areas where human activities facilitate contact between species. This study investigates hybridisation between golden jackals (Canis aureus) and dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) in the Malabar region of Kerala, India. Suspected hybrids were initially identified through intermediate morphological traits, including coat colour, ear shape, and tail morphology. Mitochondrial DNA analysis of D-loop sequences from blood, stool, and tissue samples further supported these findings. Phylogenetic reconstruction using the maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods revealed that putative hybrids clustered with golden jackals in a distinct clade. A median-joining haplotype network showed shared haplotypes between hybrids and jackals, confirming maternal lineage from jackals. The presence of hybrids raises critical conservation concerns, potentially threatening the genetic integrity and ecological roles of jackals. In the future, continued genetic monitoring combined with the inclusion of additional nuclear markers will be essential for understanding hybridization dynamics and informing effective conservation and management strategies.