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A panel of 96 DNA samples that reflects the breadth of genetic diversity in popular Russian cattle breeds has been designed. The panel of cattle DNA contains 11 dairy breeds and 6 beef and beef-dairy breeds. The numbers of animals in each breed group vary from 4 to 8. The main criterion for selection of individual animals within each breed is to maximize the total number of unshared haploid genomes according to pedigree data. The resulting panel is equivalent to USDA MARC Beef Cattle Diversity Panel version 2.1 in the power of SNP identification (number of unshared haploid genomes = 186,1, minimum allele frequency required for its detection with 95 % probability – 1,6 %). Analysis of three SNPs shows an insignificant difference between the allele frequencies in Galloway, Hereford, Grey Ukrainian, and Black Pied herds and those in the panel. Thus, the diversity panel may be useful for identification of genetic markers associated with economically important traits in cattle, evaluation of purebred and crossbred animals, and, probably, for tentative estimation of allele frequencies in commercial populations.

The objective of this study was to determine the influence of TNF-alpha gene polymorphism at position -824 A > G on TNF-alpha gene expression in BLV-positive animals with aleukaemic (AL) and persistent lymphocytosis (PL) forms of enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL) and in BLV-negative cows. Polymorphism of the TNFalpha gene at position -824 A > G had a complex influence on TNF-alpha gene expression in cows infected with BLV. In animals with various TNF-alpha genotypes, mRNA levels were stable and similar, but significant differences were noted in the percentages of PBMCs expressing membrane TNF-alpha (mTNF-alpha) protein (PBMCs that were positive for mTNF-alpha). In healthy cows, significant differences in TNF-alpha gene expression were not noted at any of the analysed levels. BLV infection and EBL progression resulted in differential TNF-alpha gene expression at both mRNA and protein levels, but the differences in the amount of the transcript and the percentages of mTNF-alpha+ cells exhibited a reverse trend. The lowest mRNA levels and the highest percentage of PBMCs expressing mTNF-alpha protein were determined in BLV-positive cows. These complex results regarding TNF-alpha gene expression in BLV-positive cows could be attributed to the presence of virus or viral protein/ proteins modifying the expression of the TNF-alpha gene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A panel of 96 DNA samples (Russian Cattle Genomic Diversity Panel 1.0 or RCGDP 1.0) characterizing the breadth of genetic diversity in popular Russian cattle breeds was designed. The panel contains from four to eight animals from each of 11 dairy and six dairy-meat and meat breeds. The main criterion for inclusion of individual animals in the panel was that they had, according to the pedigree data, the greatest number of unrelated haploid genomes. The resulting panel of 96 animals was estimated to contain 186.1 unshared haploid genomes and was expected to allow a 95% probability of detecting alleles with a frequency greater than 0.016 in the group. This is comparable to the USDA MARC Beef Cattle Diversity Panel version 2.1. Analysis of three SNPs in the Galloway, Hereford, Grey Ukrainian and Black Pied breeds showed no significant differences in the allele frequencies between the animals in the panel and in the herds. Thus, the designed DNA panel may be useful for SNP selection in the genetic analysis of economically important traits, for identification of purebred and hybrid animals, and, probably, for tentative estimation of allele frequencies in the populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]