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We aimed to use microsatellite BM1258 loci of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) as an indicator of the influence of genetic diversity of immunity in goats (Dazu Black, Hechuan White, Meigu, and Tibetan goat). In total, 132 animals comprising 50 Dazu Black goats, 24 Hechuan White goats, 34 Meigu goats, and 24 Tibetan goats were examined. Collectively, 18 different alleles and 42 genotypes were found. The overall observed levels of heterozygosity showed large divergence from the expected levels in the four breeds, and an increase in the mean number of alleles of BM1258 accompanied decreasing altitude of the livestock's habitat. Our results indicate that low-altitude regions or plains were more conducive to genetic material exchange and gene flow between different populations. In addition, it seems that the breeds from low-altitude regions were less susceptible to problems introduced by commercial animals.

Cathelicidins are a major family of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), an important component of innate immune system, playing a critical role in host defense and disease resistance in virtually all living species. Polymorphism and functional studies on cathelicidin of Tianzhu white yak contribute to understanding the specific innate immune mechanism in animals living at high altitudes in comparison to cattle and domesticated white yak. Thirty-six individuals of Tianzhu white yak, originating from the area of three ecotypes (Gansu in China), were investigated. The total length of the aligned Yak cathelicidin 6 (CATHL-6) sequences was 1923 bp, including six single nucleotide polymorphisms and one indel. Ten haplotypes were identified, and phylogenetic analyses resolved those 10 haplotypes in two clusters. The results indicate that the white yak originated from two domestication sites. In addition, lack of significant pairwise difference between sequences (Tajima's D = 0.92865, P > 0.10) in the CATHL-6 region indicates absence of population size expansion in current white yak population.

DRA encodes the alpha chain of the DR heterodimer, is closely linked to DRB and is considered almost monomorphic in major histocompatibility complex region. In this study, we identified the exon 2 of DRA to evaluate the immunogenetic diversity of Chinese south indigenous goat. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms in an untranslated region and one synonymous substitution in coding region were identified. These data suggest that high immunodiversity in native Chinese population.

Deep RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) provides a practical and inexpensive alternative for exploring genomic data in non-model organisms. The functional annotation of non-model mammalian genomes, such as that of goats, is still poor compared to that of humans and mice. In the current study, we performed a whole transcriptome analysis of an intestinal mucous membrane lymph node to comprehensively characterize the transcript catalogue of this tissue in a goat. Using an Illumina HiSeq 4000 sequencing platform, 9.692 GB of raw reads were acquired. A total of 57,526 lymph transcripts were obtained, and the majority of these were mapped to known transcriptional units (42.67%). A comparison of the mRNA expression of the mesenteric lymph nodes during the juvenile and post-adolescent stages revealed 8949 transcripts that were differentially expressed, including 6174 known genes. In addition, we functionally classified these transcripts using Gene Ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) terms. A total of 6174 known genes were assigned to 64 GO terms, and 3782 genes were assigned to 303 KEGG pathways, including some related to immunity. Our results reveal the complex transcriptome profile of the lymph node and suggest that the immune system is immature in the mesenteric lymph nodes of juvenile goats.