We identified and characterized 11 polymorphic microsatellite markers suitable for routine testing (three in the MHC class I sub-region, four in MHC class II and four in the MHC class III sub-region) of dromedaries and Bactrian camels. In total, 38 dromedaries and 33 Bactrian camels were genotyped, and interspecific differences were observed in the numbers of alleles and in allelic frequencies, as well as in the observed heterozygosity. These loci may be used as markers to study the adaptive genetic diversity of the MHC region in Old World camels.

• Klíčová slova
• Camelus bactrianus, Camelus dromedarius, camels, genetic diversity, major histocompatibility complex, microsatellite markers,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Dromedaries are an important livestock, used as beasts of burden and for meat and milk production. However, they can act as an intermediate source or vector for transmitting zoonotic viruses to humans, such as the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) or Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV). After several outbreaks of CCHFV in the Arabian Peninsula, recent studies have demonstrated that CCHFV is endemic in dromedaries and camel ticks in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). There is no apparent disease in dromedaries after the bite of infected ticks; in contrast, fever, myalgia, lymphadenopathy, and petechial hemorrhaging are common symptoms in humans, with a case fatality ratio of up to 40%. We used the in-solution hybridization capture of 100 annotated immune genes to genotype 121 dromedaries from the UAE tested for seropositivity to CCHFV. Through univariate linear regression analysis, we identified two candidate genes belonging to the innate immune system: FCAR and CLEC2B. These genes have important functions in the host defense against viral infections and in stimulating natural killer cells, respectively. This study opens doors for future research into immune defense mechanisms in an enzootic host against an important zoonotic disease.

• Klíčová slova
• Camelus dromedarius, Old World camel, in-solution hybridization capture, tick, vector-borne infection, zoonosis,
• MeSH
• genetická predispozice k nemoci genetika   MeSH
• genotyp MeSH
• hemoragická horečka krymská genetika   imunologie   virologie   MeSH
• infestace klíšťaty imunologie   parazitologie   MeSH
• klíšťata imunologie   fyziologie   virologie   MeSH
• koronavirové infekce genetika   imunologie   virologie   MeSH
• kuřecí embryo MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• odolnost vůči nemocem genetika   imunologie   MeSH
• přirozená imunita genetika   imunologie   MeSH
• rizikové faktory MeSH
• velbloudi genetika   imunologie   virologie   MeSH
• virus krymsko-konžské hemoragické horečky imunologie   fyziologie   MeSH
• zoonózy genetika   imunologie   virologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• kuřecí embryo MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Spojené arabské emiráty MeSH

The recent SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has refocused attention to the betacoronaviruses, only eight years after the emergence of another zoonotic betacoronavirus, the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). While the wild source of SARS-CoV-2 may be disputed, for MERS-CoV, dromedaries are considered as source of zoonotic human infections. Testing 100 immune-response genes in 121 dromedaries from United Arab Emirates (UAE) for potential association with present MERS-CoV infection, we identified candidate genes with important functions in the adaptive, MHC-class I (HLA-A-24-like) and II (HLA-DPB1-like), and innate immune response (PTPN4, MAGOHB), and in cilia coating the respiratory tract (DNAH7). Some of these genes previously have been associated with viral replication in SARS-CoV-1/-2 in humans, others have an important role in the movement of bronchial cilia. These results suggest similar host genetic pathways associated with these betacoronaviruses, although further work is required to better understand the MERS-CoV disease dynamics in both dromedaries and humans.

• Klíčová slova
• Old World camels, coronavirus, immune response genes, in-solution hybridization capture, zoonosis,
• MeSH
• adaptivní imunita genetika   MeSH
• bronchy cytologie   fyziologie   MeSH
• cilie fyziologie   MeSH
• COVID-19 genetika   imunologie   virologie   MeSH
• genetická predispozice k nemoci MeSH
• interakce mikroorganismu a hostitele genetika   imunologie   MeSH
• koronavirové infekce genetika   imunologie   přenos   virologie   MeSH
• koronavirus MERS imunologie   izolace a purifikace   patogenita   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• objevující se infekční nemoci genetika   imunologie   přenos   virologie   MeSH
• přirozená imunita genetika   MeSH
• protilátky virové MeSH
• replikace viru genetika   imunologie   MeSH
• respirační sliznice cytologie   fyziologie   MeSH
• SARS-CoV-2 imunologie   patogenita   MeSH
• velbloudi genetika   imunologie   virologie   MeSH
• zdroje nemoci virologie   MeSH
• zoonózy genetika   imunologie   přenos   virologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Spojené arabské emiráty MeSH
• Názvy látek
• protilátky virové MeSH

Cytotoxic T cells and natural killer cells can kill target cells based on their expression and release of perforin, granulysin, and granzymes. Genes encoding these molecules have been only poorly annotated in camelids. Based on bioinformatic analyses of genomic resources, sequences corresponding to perforin, granulysin, and granzymes were identified in genomes of camelids and related ungulate species, and annotation of the corresponding genes was performed. A phylogenetic tree was constructed to study evolutionary relationships between the species analyzed. Re-sequencing of all genes in a panel of 10 dromedaries and 10 domestic Bactrian camels allowed analyzing their individual genetic polymorphisms. The data showed that all extant Old World camelids possess functional genes for two pore-forming proteins (PRF1, GNLY) and six granzymes (GZMA, GZMB, GZMH, GZMK, GZMM, and GZMO). All these genes were represented as single copies in the genome except the GZMH gene exhibiting interspecific differences in the number of loci. High protein sequence similarities with other camelid and ungulate species were observed for GZMK and GZMM. The protein variability in dromedaries and Bactrian camels was rather low, except for GNLY and chymotrypsin-like granzymes (GZMB, GZMH).

• Klíčová slova
• NK cells, camel, cytotoxic T lymphocytes, granulysin, granzymes, perforin, ungulates,
• MeSH
• buňky NK metabolismus   MeSH
• cytotoxické proteiny tvořící póry genetika   MeSH
• cytotoxické T-lymfocyty metabolismus   MeSH
• fylogeneze MeSH
• granzymy genetika   MeSH
• perforin genetika   MeSH
• velbloudovití klasifikace   genetika   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• cytotoxické proteiny tvořící póry MeSH
• granzymy MeSH
• perforin MeSH