Dairy goats, a livestock species with a long history of milk production, are essential for the economic advancement of nations, particularly in regions experiencing growth. In this study, we gathered whole-genome resequencing data of 58 goats, including 34 dairy goats and 24 wild goats (Bezoar), to explore the selection signatures linked to milk production traits using ROH (Runs of homozygosity), CLR (composite likelihood ratio), Fst (Fixation index), XP-EHH (Ex-tended haplotype homozygosity across populations) and XP-CLR(Cross-population composite likelihood ratio test) methods. Analysis of five tests of selection signatures for dairy goats revealed a total of 210 genes, with 24 genes consistently identified in at least two approaches. These genes are associated with milk fat, milk protein, and fat yield. Gene enrichment analysis highlighted important GO and KEGG pathways related to milk production, such as the “acyl-CoA metabolic process”, “glycerolipid biosynthetic process”, “cellular response to fatty ac-id”, “hormone metabolic process”, “Galactose metabolism”. Additionally, genes linked to repro-duction, immune response, and environmental adaptation were identified in dairy goats. The findings from our study offer profound understanding into the critical economic features of dairy goats and offer practical guidance for the improvement and development of crossbreeding initiatives across different dairy goat breeds.
Anaplasma phagocytophilum is a zoonotic pathogen transmitted by arthropod vectors. The pathogen infects various vertebrate hosts, causing mild to severe illness. Molecular studies have demonstrated that A. phagocytophilum exhibits a high level of genetic diversity, with two A. phagocytophilum-related variants identified in several countries. This study represents the first application of PCR amplification and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in conjunction with DNA sequencing to investigate the frequency and phylogenetic relationships of A. phagocytophilum and its related strains in cattle from China. A total of 662 bovine blood samples were collected from diverse regions within Henan Province, China, and pathogen DNA was detected in 75 samples, comprising 11.33% of the total. PCR-RFLP analysis identified three strains with frequency rates of 2.87% (19/662) for A. phagocytophilum, 11.33% (75/662) for A. phagocytophilum-like 1, and 3.22% (22/662) for A. phagocytophilum-like 2. Additionally, co-infections involving A. phagocytophilum and A. phagocytophilum-like 1 were observed as well as between A. phagocytophilum-like 1 and A. phagocytophilum-like 2. Anaplasma phagocytophilum-like strains 1 and 2 should be considered when diagnosing bovine anaplasmosis. Despite recent molecular studies of A. phagocytophilum-related strains, there remains a shortage of data concerning vector capability, the epidemiology of the disease, clinical signs, and genetic diversity of the pathogens. Thus, large-scale investigations involving animals and tick vectors are necessary to obtain more detailed information concerning the etiology of anaplasmosis.
15 July 2025 in International Journal of Biological Macromolecules
Dehydration response element-binding (DREB) proteins are crucial for plant responses to abiotic stress, particularly in molecular responses to drought and