This study was performed with the aim of investigating the concentration of zinc and copper in the blood of healthy alpacas (Vicugna pacos) kept in central Europe and to compare the concentration of Zn and Cu in plasma and in whole blood. A further objective was to evaluate blood Zn and Cu in relation to different micromineral supplementation, age and sex groups of alpacas. A total of 299 alpacas (224 adults and 75 crias) from 18 farms were included in this study. The concentrations of copper and zinc in plasma/whole blood were measured by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The results of this study show high individual variability in plasma Zn (median 3.54, range 1.56-8.01 μmol/l), whole blood Zn (median 10.01, range 6.23-75.0 μmol/l), plasma Cu (median 7.53, range 2.93-16.41 μmol/l) and whole blood Cu (median 6.33, range 3.02-13.95 μmol/l). Plasma Zn was not significantly influenced by sex, age or feeding group. Whole blood Zn was only significantly higher in females than in males. The intake of Zn in all groups was equal to or higher than the nutritional recommendation. During excessive supplementation, Zn absorption decreased and thus blood Zn did not reflect the higher intake. Only a weak correlation was found (Spearman correlation coefficient r = 0.384; p > 0.01; n = 204) between plasma and whole blood Zn concentrations. Plasma copper concentration was significantly influenced by age, sex and feeding; whole blood Cu by age and feeding. However, neither plasma Cu nor whole blood Cu reflected the intake of the element. We found a close correlation between plasma and blood copper concentrations (Spearman correlation coefficient r = 0.9043; p ≤ 0.01; n = 99). According to our results, copper in plasma or blood is not a good indicator of copper intake.
Cytogenetic chromosome maps offer molecular tools for genome analysis and clinical cytogenetics and are of particular importance for species with difficult karyotypes, such as camelids (2n = 74). Building on the available human-camel zoo-fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) data, we developed the first cytogenetic map for the alpaca (Lama pacos, LPA) genome by isolating and identifying 151 alpaca bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones corresponding to 44 specific genes. The genes were mapped by FISH to 31 alpaca autosomes and the sex chromosomes; 11 chromosomes had 2 markers, which were ordered by dual-color FISH. The STS gene mapped to Xpter/Ypter, demarcating the pseudoautosomal region, whereas no markers were assigned to chromosomes 14, 21, 22, 28, and 36. The chromosome-specific markers were applied in clinical cytogenetics to identify LPA20, the major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-carrying chromosome, as a part of an autosomal translocation in a sterile male llama (Lama glama, LGL; 2n = 73,XY). FISH with LPAX BACs and LPA36 paints, as well as comparative genomic hybridization, were also used to investigate the origin of the minute chromosome, an abnormally small LPA36 in infertile female alpacas. This collection of cytogenetically mapped markers represents a new tool for camelid clinical cytogenetics and has applications for the improvement of the alpaca genome map and sequence assembly.
- Keywords
- BAC library, FISH, alpaca, cytogenetics, minute chromosome, translocation,
- MeSH
- Genetic Markers * MeSH
- In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence MeSH
- Karyotyping methods MeSH
- Camelids, New World genetics MeSH
- Chromosome Mapping methods MeSH
- Sex Chromosomes genetics MeSH
- Comparative Genomic Hybridization MeSH
- Chromosomes, Artificial, Bacterial MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- Names of Substances
- Genetic Markers * MeSH
The aim of this study was to establish reference interval for biochemical parameters in blood of alpacas on the basis of large population of clinically healthy animals, and to determine the influence of sex, age and season on nitrogen and lipid metabolites, enzymes, electrolytes, vitamins and minerals in blood of alpacas. Blood samples were collected from 311 alpacas (61 males and 201 females >6 months of age and 49 crias (21 males and 28 females) ⩽6 months of age). Selected farms were located in Central Europe (Czech Republic and Germany). We determined 24 biochemical parameters from blood serum. We performed the comparison of results by the sex of animals and for the older group also the comparison of the results with regard to the season, respectively, to the feeding period. We found no highly significant difference (P<0.01) between males and females with the exception of γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and cholesterol. We found 15 significantly different parameters between the group of crias 6 months of age and the older alpacas. Based on our findings we suggest for most parameters to use different reference intervals (especially ALP, cholesterol, total protein, globulin, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), GGT and phosphorus) for the two above-mentioned age groups. Another important finding is the differences between some parameters in older group of alpacas in summer/winter feeding period. Animals in the summer feeding period have higher values of parameters related to fat mobilization (β-hydroxybutyrate, NEFA) and liver metabolism (bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase). The winter period with increased feeding of supplements with higher amount of fat, vitamins and minerals is characteristic by increased values of cholesterol, triglycerides, vitamins A and E, and some minerals (K, Ca, Mg and Cl) in blood serum. Clinical laboratory diagnosis of metabolic disturbances may be improved with use of age-based reference values and with consideration of seasonal differences.
- MeSH
- Alanine Transaminase blood MeSH
- Blood Chemical Analysis veterinary MeSH
- Time Factors MeSH
- Cholesterol blood MeSH
- Nitrogen metabolism MeSH
- 3-Hydroxybutyric Acid blood MeSH
- Camelids, New World blood metabolism MeSH
- Lipid Metabolism * MeSH
- Reference Values MeSH
- Seasons MeSH
- Sex Factors MeSH
- Triglycerides blood MeSH
- Age Factors MeSH
- Vitamin A blood MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- Geographicals
- Czech Republic MeSH
- Germany MeSH
- Names of Substances
- Alanine Transaminase MeSH
- Cholesterol MeSH
- Nitrogen MeSH
- 3-Hydroxybutyric Acid MeSH
- Triglycerides MeSH
- Vitamin A MeSH
UNLABELLED: We previously showed that close relatives of human coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E) exist in African bats. The small sample and limited genomic characterizations have prevented further analyses so far. Here, we tested 2,087 fecal specimens from 11 bat species sampled in Ghana for HCoV-229E-related viruses by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR). Only hipposiderid bats tested positive. To compare the genetic diversity of bat viruses and HCoV-229E, we tested historical isolates and diagnostic specimens sampled globally over 10 years. Bat viruses were 5- and 6-fold more diversified than HCoV-229E in the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and spike genes. In phylogenetic analyses, HCoV-229E strains were monophyletic and not intermixed with animal viruses. Bat viruses formed three large clades in close and more distant sister relationships. A recently described 229E-related alpaca virus occupied an intermediate phylogenetic position between bat and human viruses. According to taxonomic criteria, human, alpaca, and bat viruses form a single CoV species showing evidence for multiple recombination events. HCoV-229E and the alpaca virus showed a major deletion in the spike S1 region compared to all bat viruses. Analyses of four full genomes from 229E-related bat CoVs revealed an eighth open reading frame (ORF8) located at the genomic 3' end. ORF8 also existed in the 229E-related alpaca virus. Reanalysis of HCoV-229E sequences showed a conserved transcription regulatory sequence preceding remnants of this ORF, suggesting its loss after acquisition of a 229E-related CoV by humans. These data suggested an evolutionary origin of 229E-related CoVs in hipposiderid bats, hypothetically with camelids as intermediate hosts preceding the establishment of HCoV-229E. IMPORTANCE: The ancestral origins of major human coronaviruses (HCoVs) likely involve bat hosts. Here, we provide conclusive genetic evidence for an evolutionary origin of the common cold virus HCoV-229E in hipposiderid bats by analyzing a large sample of African bats and characterizing several bat viruses on a full-genome level. Our evolutionary analyses show that animal and human viruses are genetically closely related, can exchange genetic material, and form a single viral species. We show that the putative host switches leading to the formation of HCoV-229E were accompanied by major genomic changes, including deletions in the viral spike glycoprotein gene and loss of an open reading frame. We reanalyze a previously described genetically related alpaca virus and discuss the role of camelids as potential intermediate hosts between bat and human viruses. The evolutionary history of HCoV-229E likely shares important characteristics with that of the recently emerged highly pathogenic Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus.
- MeSH
- Bayes Theorem MeSH
- Biological Evolution * MeSH
- Chiroptera virology MeSH
- DNA Primers genetics MeSH
- Feces virology MeSH
- Phylogeny * MeSH
- Genetic Variation * MeSH
- Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus genetics MeSH
- Camelids, New World virology MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Coronavirus 229E, Human genetics MeSH
- Models, Genetic MeSH
- Molecular Sequence Data MeSH
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction MeSH
- RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase genetics MeSH
- Base Sequence MeSH
- Sequence Analysis, DNA MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- Geographicals
- Ghana MeSH
- Names of Substances
- DNA Primers MeSH
- Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus MeSH
- RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase MeSH
Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii are the protozoan parasites with definitive hosts from order Carnivora. Due to vertical transmission, both parasites can cause abortions and neonatal mortality that lead to significant productive and economic losses in the domestic ruminants. The aim of this study was to describe N. caninum and T. gondii seroprevalence in the group of frequently farmed captive exotic ruminants (n = 184) including Bovidae (barbary sheep, bezoar goat, common eland, American bison, water buffalo, and yak) and Camelidae (bactrian camel, guanaco, llama, and alpaca). Antibodies were tested by indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Higher prevalence of T. gondii antibodies (31% in IFAT and 52% in ELISA) was detected compared to N. caninum (24% in IFAT and 17% in cELISA). Mixed infection was found in 18 (10%) and 22 (12%) animals by IFAT and ELISA, respectively. Higher seroprevalence of both N. caninum and T. gondii was found in Camelidae compared to Bovidae. To author knowledge, this is the first detection of T. gondii and N. caninum antibodies in common elands and bezoar goats.
- Keywords
- Dynamic of antibodies, Neosporosis, Ruminants, Serology, Toxoplasmosis,
- MeSH
- Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay veterinary MeSH
- Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect veterinary MeSH
- Coccidiosis epidemiology parasitology veterinary MeSH
- Neospora immunology MeSH
- Prevalence MeSH
- Ruminants parasitology MeSH
- Seroepidemiologic Studies MeSH
- Toxoplasma immunology MeSH
- Toxoplasmosis, Animal epidemiology parasitology MeSH
- Camelidae parasitology MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Geographicals
- Czech Republic epidemiology MeSH
Chitinolytic bacteria were detected in faeces and digesta of wild and domesticated herbivores. The presence of chitinolytic bacteria in two cows was verified following enrichment culture of rumen fluid on colloidal chitin. In three other cows, direct counts on chitin agar showed that the numbers of these bacteria in the rumen fluid ranged from 5 x 10(4) to 2 x 10(8) ml-1. Most of these bacteria were Clostridium-like spore producers. The most typical strain, Clostridium sp. ChK5, was characterized further. This bacterium degraded colloidal chitin and produced mainly acetate, butyrate and lactate. Endochitinase and chitobiase were produced when chitin was the growth substrate. Endochitinase was also detected in cultures grown on N-acetylglucosamine and glucose. Optimal conditions for endochitinase activity were 37 degrees C and pH 4.5-6.1. The Michaelis constant (Km) for this enzyme was 19.3 mg ml-1. Strain ChK5 shows strong phenotypic similarity to Clostridium tertium.
- MeSH
- Rumen microbiology MeSH
- Bison MeSH
- Chitin metabolism MeSH
- Clostridium enzymology MeSH
- Enzyme Induction MeSH
- Feces microbiology MeSH
- Fermentation MeSH
- Gram-Positive Rods enzymology growth & development physiology MeSH
- Horses MeSH
- Camelids, New World MeSH
- Sheep MeSH
- Colony Count, Microbial MeSH
- Cattle MeSH
- Spores, Bacterial physiology MeSH
- Deer MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Cattle MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- Names of Substances
- Chitin MeSH
Due to production of special homodimeric heavy chain antibodies, somatic hypermutation of their T-cell receptor genes and unusually low diversity of their major histocompatibility complex genes, camels represent an important model for immunogenetic studies. Here, we analyzed genes encoding selected natural killer cell receptors with a special focus on genes encoding receptors for major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I ligands in the two domestic camel species, Camelus dromedarius and Camelus bactrianus. Based on the dromedary genome assembly CamDro2, we characterized the genetic contents, organization, and variability of two complex genomic regions, the leukocyte receptor complex and the natural killer complex, along with the natural cytotoxicity receptor genes NCR1, NCR2, and NCR3. The genomic organization of the natural killer complex region of camels differs from cattle, the phylogenetically most closely related species. With its minimal set of KLR genes, it resembles this complex in the domestic pig. Similarly, the leukocyte receptor complex of camels is strikingly different from its cattle counterpart. With KIR pseudogenes and few LILR genes, it seems to be simpler than in the pig. The syntenies and protein sequences of the NCR1, NCR2, and NCR3 genes in the dromedary suggest that they could be human orthologues. However, only NCR1 and NCR2 have a structure of functional genes, while NCR3 appears to be a pseudogene. High sequence similarities between the two camel species as well as with the alpaca Vicugna pacos were observed. The polymorphism in all genes analyzed seems to be generally low, similar to the rest of the camel genomes. This first report on natural killer cell receptor genes in camelids adds new data to our understanding of specificities of the camel immune system and its functions, extends our genetic knowledge of the innate immune variation in dromedaries and Bactrian camels, and contributes to studies of natural killer cell receptors evolution in mammals.
- Keywords
- SNP, camelid, leukocyte receptor complex, microsatellites, natural killer complex,
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
Eight strains of Gram-positive, catalase- and oxidase-positive cocci were isolated from the skin of llamas (Lama glama L.) and characterized using a polyphasic approach. These strains were assigned to the genus Macrococcus on the basis of their phenotypic properties (resistance to bacitracin and sensitivity to furazolidone) and DNA base content (40-42 mol% G+C). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rDNA confirmed that the strains are members of the genus MACROCOCCUS: They differed from all hitherto described macrococcal species in their production of phosphatase and reduction of nitrate (most strains) and the inability to produce acid from glycerol or to grow in 7.5 % NaCl. Ribotyping (EcoRI), macrorestriction analysis (XbaI) and fatty acid methyl ester analysis divided the strains from llamas into three stable clusters. Moreover, ribotyping differentiated the strains analysed not only from previously described macrococcal species but also from oxidase-positive staphylococci. DNA-DNA hybridization confirmed that the three clusters represent separate genomic groups (similarity values<54 %). All the results showed that the strains represent three novel species, for which the names Macrococcus hajekii sp. nov. (type strain CCM 4809(T)=LMG 21711(T)), Macrococcus brunensis sp. nov. (type strain CCM 4811(T)=LMG 21712(T)) and Macrococcus lamae sp. nov. (type strain CCM 4815(T)=LMG 21713(T)) are proposed.
- MeSH
- RNA, Bacterial genetics MeSH
- DNA, Bacterial chemistry genetics MeSH
- Phenotype MeSH
- Phylogeny MeSH
- Skin microbiology MeSH
- Camelids, New World microbiology MeSH
- Fatty Acids analysis MeSH
- Molecular Sequence Data MeSH
- DNA, Ribosomal genetics MeSH
- RNA, Ribosomal, 16S genetics MeSH
- Base Sequence MeSH
- Staphylococcaceae classification genetics isolation & purification metabolism MeSH
- Base Composition MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- Names of Substances
- RNA, Bacterial MeSH
- DNA, Bacterial MeSH
- Fatty Acids MeSH
- DNA, Ribosomal MeSH
- RNA, Ribosomal, 16S MeSH
This article analyses the reception of knowledge about new world nature, and, more specifically, the reception of Iberian scientific knowledge of nature in the Americas, in the early modem Czech lands. It shows how the process of the reception of information about nature in the new world differed among the urban classes, intellectuals and the nobility; particular attention is paid to herbals, cosmographical works and travel reports. On the one hand, the study reveals that the efforts of Central European intellectuals to interpret new world nature were limited by the lack of necessary data and experience, which led to some misinterpretations and simplifications. On the other hand, it shows these Central European scholars to be fully-fledged members of an information network, whose works share many of the same characteristics as Iberian and, in general, early modem European science.
- MeSH
- Capsicum history MeSH
- History, 16th Century MeSH
- History, 17th Century MeSH
- Herbal Medicine history MeSH
- Camelids, New World * MeSH
- Natural History history MeSH
- Science history MeSH
- Knowledge * MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- History, 16th Century MeSH
- History, 17th Century MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Historical Article MeSH
- Geographicals
- Americas MeSH
- Czech Republic MeSH
- Portugal MeSH
- Austria-Hungary MeSH
- Spain MeSH
- Turkey MeSH
