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Purosangue Orientale Siciliano, Sanfratellano and Siciliano represent the Sicilian equine genetic resource. This study aimed to investigate the genetic diversity, population structure and the pattern of autozygosity of Sicilian horse populations using genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data generated with the Illumina Equine SNP70 array. The genotyping data of 17 European and Middle East populations were also included in the study. The patterns of genetic differentiation, model-based clustering and Neighbour-Net showed the expected positioning of Sicilian populations within the wide analysed framework and the close connections between the Purosangue Orientale Siciliano and the Arab as well as between Sanfratellano, Siciliano and Maremmano. The highest expected heterozygosity (He) and contemporary effective population size (cNe) were reported in Siciliano (He=0.323, cNe=397), and the lowest were reported in Purosangue Orientale Siciliano (He=0.277, cNe=10). The analysis of the runs of homozygosity and the relative derived inbreeding revealed high internal homogeneity in Purosangue Orientale Siciliano and Arab horses, intermediate values in Maremmano and Sanfratellano and high heterogeneity in the Siciliano population. The genome-wide SNP analysis showed the selective pressure on Purosangue Orientale Siciliano towards traits related to endurance performance. Our results underline the importance of planning adequate conservation and exploitation programmes to reduce the level of inbreeding and, therefore, the loss of genetic diversity.

The application of genomic technologies has facilitated the assessment of genomic inbreeding based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). In this study, we computed several runs of homozygosity (ROH) parameters to investigate the patterns of homozygosity using Illumina Goat SNP50 in five Italian local populations: Argentata dell’Etna (N = 48), Derivata di Siria (N = 32), Girgentana (N = 59), Maltese (N = 16) and Messinese (N = 22). The ROH results showed well-defined differences among the populations. A total of 3687 ROH segments &gt, 2 Mb were detected in the whole sample. The Argentata dell’Etna and Messinese were the populations with the lowest mean number of ROH and inbreeding coefficient values, which reflect admixture and gene flow. In the Girgentana, we identified an ROH pattern related with recent inbreeding that can endanger the viability of the breed due to reduced population size. The genomes of Derivata di Siria and Maltese breeds showed the presence of long ROH (&gt, 16 Mb) that could seriously impact the overall biological fitness of these breeds. Moreover, the results confirmed that ROH parameters are in agreement with the known demography of these populations and highlighted the different selection histories and breeding schemes of these goat populations. In the analysis of ROH islands, we detected harbored genes involved with important traits, such as for milk yield, reproduction, and immune response, and are consistent with the phenotypic traits of the studied goat populations. Finally, the results of this study can be used for implementing conservation programs for these local populations in order to avoid further loss of genetic diversity and to preserve the production and fitness traits. In view of this, the availability of genomic data is a fundamental resource.

Local adaptation of animals to the environment can abruptly become a burden when faced with rapid climatic changes such as those foreseen for the Italian peninsula over the next 70 years. Our study investigates the genetic structure of the Italian goat populations and links it with the environment and how genetics might evolve over the next 50 years. We used one of the largest national datasets including 1000 goats from 33 populations across the Italian peninsula collected by the Italian Goat Consortium and genotyped with over 50 k markers. Our results showed that Italian goats can be discriminated in three groups reflective of the Italian geography and its geo-political situation preceding the country unification around two centuries ago. We leveraged the remarkable genetic and geographical diversity of the Italian goat populations and performed landscape genomics analysis to disentangle the relationship between genotype and environment, finding 64 SNPs intercepting genomic regions linked to growth, circadian rhythm, fertility, and inflammatory response. Lastly, we calculated the hypothetical future genotypic frequencies of the most relevant SNPs identified through landscape genomics to evaluate their long-term effect on the genetic structure of the Italian goat populations. Our results provide an insight into the past and the future of the Italian local goat populations, helping the institutions in defining new conservation strategy plans that could preserve their diversity and their link to local realities challenged by climate change.

BackgroundDuring the Neolithic expansion, cattle accompanied humans and spread from their domestication centres to colonize the ancient world. In addition, European cattle occasionally intermingled with both indicine cattle and local aurochs resulting in an exclusive pattern of genetic diversity. Among the most ancient European cattle are breeds that belong to the so-called Podolian trunk, the history of which is still not well established. Here, we used genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data on 806 individuals belonging to 36 breeds to reconstruct the origin and diversification of Podolian cattle and to provide a reliable scenario of the European colonization, through an approximate Bayesian computation random forest (ABC-RF) approach.ResultsOur results indicate that European Podolian cattle display higher values of genetic diversity indices than both African taurine and Asian indicine breeds. Clustering analyses show that Podolian breeds share close genomic relationships, which suggests a likely common genetic ancestry. Among the simulated and tested scenarios of the colonization of Europe from taurine cattle, the greatest support was obtained for the model assuming at least two waves of diffusion. Time estimates are in line with an early migration from the domestication centre of non-Podolian taurine breeds followed by a secondary migration of Podolian breeds. The best fitting model also suggests that the Italian Podolian breeds are the result of admixture between different genomic pools.ConclusionsThis comprehensive dataset that includes most of the autochthonous cattle breeds belonging to the so-called Podolian trunk allowed us not only to shed light onto the origin and diversification of this group of cattle, but also to gain new insights into the diffusion of European cattle. The most well-supported scenario of colonization points to two main waves of migrations: with one that occurred alongside with the Neolithic human expansion and gave rise to the non-Podolian taurine breeds, and a more recent one that favoured the diffusion of European Podolian. In this process, we highlight the importance of both the Mediterranean and Danube routes in promoting European cattle colonization. Moreover, we identified admixture as a driver of diversification in Italy, which could represent a melting pot for Podolian cattle.

Selection, drift, gene flow and breeding have extensively shaped the genomic variability of domestic animals. In goat species, several mutations identified within the casein genes have been shown to affect the level of gene expression of milk production traits. The four casein genes – CSN1S1, CSN2, CSN1S2 and CSN3 – are organized in a cluster of 250 kb located in chromosome 6, and due to tight linkage, their genetic variability is well depicted by haplotypes which are transmitted to the progeny. Thirty single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located within the casein gene cluster were used to characterize the haplotype variability of six southern Italian goat breeds (Girgentana, Maltese, Rossa Mediterranea, Argentata dell'Etna, Messinese, Capra dell'Aspromonte). A representative sample of the Norwegian dairy goat breed (Norsk melkegeit) has been used as an out-group to obtain a weighted measure of genetic diversity in the metapopulation. A total of 54 haplotypes were detected among the seven breeds: 26, 9, 8 and 11 haplotypes were found at CSN1S1, CSN2, CSN1S2 and CSN3 respectively. The number of haplotypes per breed was 14 (Norwegian), 26 (Messinese), 27 (Rossa Mediterranea and Girgentana) and 31 (Maltese, Argentata dell'Etna and Capra dell'Aspromonte). The Maltese breed showed the highest number of private haplotypes, whereas the Norwegian goat recorded the highest number of shared haplotypes. The linkage disequilibrium analysis showed higher levels of association for the SNP pairs within casein loci than SNP pairs between casein loci, likely reflecting low levels of intra-genic recombination. The highest linkage disequilibrium values were found in CSN1S1 and CSN2 genes in all the breeds, except for Argentata dell'Etna and Rossa Mediterranea. The resolution of the haplotype diversity at the casein cluster can be exploited both for selective and conservative plans.

Simple Summary Mammalian hybrids frequently form in nature between closely related species, and the majority are sterile due to the production of chromosomally unbalanced gametes. In Italy, the widespread wild boar has had negative consequences for free-range pig farming, which is considered the best practice for pig welfare and is a common method of farming most autochthonous pig breeds. This study aimed to analyze the sperm DNA integrity, sperm meiotic segregation and nuclear spatial organization in a boar–pig hybrid, for the first time, to evaluate its fertilizing capacity. The results show that the hybrid presented a high frequency (64%) of motile spermatozoa with a regular chromosome composition and a specific spatial distribution. This study underlines how fertile boar–pig hybrids represent a growing problem for conserving autochthonous pig breeds. Abstract A wide range of mammalian hybrids has recently been found by chance or through population-screening programs, but studies about their fertilizing capacity remain scarce and incomplete. Most of them are assumed to be sterile due to meiotic arrest caused by the failure of chromosome pairings. In this study, we evaluated both sperm meiotic segregation, by 2D fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis, and sperm quality (Sperm Chromatin Structure Assay) by flow cytometer in a fertile boar–pig hybrid (2n = 37,XY) originating from a Nero Siciliano pig breed (Sus scrofa domesticus) and a wild boar (Sus scrofa ferus). Spermatozoa were also separated by a dual-layer (75–60%) discontinuous Percoll gradient, resulting in two fractions with a significantly better overall quality in the motile sperm fraction. These data were confirmed by FISH analysis also, where the frequencies of spermatozoa with a regular chromosome composition were 27% in total sperm fraction and 64% in motile sperm fraction. We also evaluated the nuclear architecture in all counted spermatozoa, showing a chromatin distribution changing when chromosome abnormalities occur. Our results demonstrate that the chromosome pairing has a minimal effect on the sperm segregation and semen quality of a boar–pig hybrid, making it fertile and harmful for the conservation of autochthonous pig breeds.

Nanostructured electrodes detecting bacteria or viruses through DNA hybridization represent a promising method, which may be useful in on-field applications where PCR-based methods are very expensive, time-consuming, and require trained personnel. Indeed, electrochemical sensors combine disposability, fast response, high sensitivity, and portability. Here, a low-cost and high-surface-area electrode, based on Au-decorated NiO nanowalls, demonstrates a highly sensitive PCR-free detection of a real sample of

Together with the Neolithic human expansions, cattle spread from domestication centres and colonized the world. During their tangled expansion dynamics, European cattle occasionally intermingled with local aurochs leading to an exclusive pattern of genetic diversity. Among the most ancient European cattle, are breeds belonging to the so-called Podolian trunk which their history is still not well established. Here we used genome-wide SNP data of 806 individuals belonging to 36 breeds to reconstruct the origin and diversification of the Podolian cattle and to provide a reliable scenario of the European colonization, through an Approximate Bayesian Computation approach. Our results indicate that European Podolian cattle displays higher values of all genetic diversity indices when compared to both African taurine and Asian indicine. All our clustering analyses show close genomic relationships among Podolian breeds suggesting their possible common genetic ancestry. When we simulated and tested scenarios of colonization, we found that Podolian cattle followed different colonization routes, in line with two principal human migrations: via the Danube during the early stages of the Neolithic farmer expansions and through sea routes likely during the pre-Etruscan period. Furthermore, the best fitting model indicates that these two genomic pools admixed in Italy suggesting the Peninsula as an important hub for the Podolian cattle.

Simple Summary Growth hormone (GH) participates in the regulation of lactation and lipid metabolism. Milk traits and fatty acid composition were investigated in Modicana cows, in relation to the genetic polymorphism at GH locus p.L127V and its interaction with the feeding system. It has been compared 8 hours of grazing without concentrate (EX), versus 2 h of grazing with concentrate (SI). The frequencies of LL, LV and VV genotypes were, respectively, 0.64, 0.34, 0.02. The GH polymorphism and its interaction with feeding system did not influence milk yield and gross composition. LL cows showed higher levels of total unsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, thus suggesting a potential role of the GH polymorphism on improving the healthy quality of milk. A higher level of 18:1 in the LL cows was evident only in the extensive system. The lower energy input in the extensive system, compared to the semi-intensive system, could justify this result. Abstract Growth hormone participates in the regulation of lactation and lipid metabolism. A trial study was conducted to evaluate the effects of genetic polymorphism at GH p.L127V and its interaction with feeding system (extensive, EX; semi-intensive, SI) on milk traits and fatty acids composition in Modicana cows. In the semi-intensive farm (SI) diet consisted of hay, concentrate and 2 h of grazing. In the extensive farm (EX) feeding consisted in 8 h of grazing and hay. The frequencies of LL, LV and VV genotypes were, respectively: 0.64, 0.34, 0.02. GH polymorphism and its interaction with feeding system did not influence milk yield and composition. Cows carrying LL genotype produced milk with lower 6:0 and 8:0 and higher 16:1 c9 and 18:1 c9, total UFA and total MUFA. Feeding significantly affected fatty acids: in EX cows lower SFA and higher PUFA and UFA were found, compared to SI cows. The lower, more favorable atherogenic index of milk from EX system was coherent with the improved healthy characteristics of milk from animals fed almost exclusively on pasture. A significant interaction genotype x feeding system was evident for 18:1, higher in the LL cows only in the EX system, but not in the SI system.

Climate change has the potential to adversely affect the health of livestock, with consequences to animal welfare, greenhouse gas emissions, productivity, human health and livelihoods. Phenotypic plasticity is the ability of a genotype to produce different phenotypes, depending on environmental, biotic or abiotic conditions; it is a factor influencing and modifying the genes of animal and plant organisms, to adaptation to climate change. Among the various climate variables, heat stress has been reported to be the most detrimental factor to the economy of the livestock industry. There are a number of candidate genes that are associated with adaptation of ruminants, monogastric and poultry to heat stress. For instance, the genes encoding leptin, thyroid hormone receptor, insulin growth factor-1, growth hormone receptor, are associated with the impacts of heat stress on the physiological pathways of domestic animals such as dairy cows, beef cattle, buffaloes, poultry, pigs and horses. This review aims to highlight genes and traits that are involved with thermo-tolerance of domestic animals to sustain production and to cope with climate change. Selection and experimental evolution approaches have shown that plasticity is a trait that can evolve when under direct selection and has a correlated response to some specific traits. Therefore, new breeding goals should be defined for the potential of livestock species to acquire plasticity for adaptation to the current climate changing conditions.Highlights Heat stress compromises feed intake, growth, milk and meat quality and quantity, resulting in a significant financial burden to global livestock. Genetic selection and nutritional intervention are key strategies to consider in Animal Genetic Resources in hot environments. Information from gene expression or genome-wide association studies can be used to further improve the accuracy of selection.

Donkey milk is increasingly being proposed as a natural alternative milk for various categories of consumers, especially infants and the elderly population. However, its potential production, gross, and mineral composition have not been deeply investigated yet. Sixty-two individual milk samples were collected monthly from nine Ragusano donkeys reared in a specialized dairy farm. Milk yield as well as chemical and mineral composition, including macro and micro elements, were investigated over an entire lactation, from the second to the ninth month of milking. Milk yield averaged 1.64 kg/day, which highlights good aptitude of the Ragusano breed for the production of milk. Gross composition was characterized by low content of dry matter (8.19%), a high amount of lactose (6.07%), low protein (1.34%), and very low-fat content (0.16%). Whey proteins represented 58% of the total protein, and proteose-peptones accounted for 0.35 &plusmn, 0.07 g per 100 g. Total ash content was 0.36 g per 100 g and represented 4.40% of the dry matter. The most abundant element was K, which was followed by Ca, Na, and P. As expected, the micro elements Fe, Zn, and Cu were found in low amounts or in traces. Dry matter, fat, whey proteins. The total ash, Ca, P, Mg, and mineral ratios were significantly affected by the lactation stage.

Thirty-two Comisana ewes at late lactation were used in two trials carried out during late spring in 2 consecutive years, with the aim to evaluate the effect of the duration of grazing on herbage intake and performance. In each trial, 16 pluriparous Comisana lactating ewes were equally divided into two groups which grazed in two separate areas of natural pasture from 11:00 to 15:00 h (group 4H) or from 10:00 to 17:00 (group 7H). A concentrate mixture (500 g/day) was also offered to each ewe. The mean maximum temperature was, respectively, 23.5 ± 3.8 °C during experiment 1 and 27.0 ± 3.1 °C during experiment 2. Probably as a consequence of the differences in climatic conditions, the results on herbage intake and milk production were different during the two trials. Herbage dry matter intake was not affected by the duration of grazing during trial 1, whereas it was significantly lower in 4H group compared to that in 7H group (0.67 vs 1.02 kg/day; P

Ca, P and Mg content and distribution between soluble and colloidal phases of donkey milk (DM) were investigated in 62 individual milk samples collected from 9 Ragusano donkeys followed from the second to the ninth month of lactation. Ca (69%) and P (64%) were mainly associated with casein, while Mg was largely found in the soluble form (69%). Only 25% of the colloidal P was present as phosphorylated residues of caseins (casein-P). The colloidal contents of Ca, casein-P, inorganic P (as a constituent of the colloidal calcium phosphate; CCP) and Mg were 1.84, 1.30, 0.45 and 0.15 mmol g casein −1 , respectively, revealing a high level of mineralisation of DM casein micelle. The colloidal Ca to colloidal inorganic-P ratio was 1.51, suggesting that most colloidal Ca was in the form of CCP. All parameters were affected by the period of lactation, except casein level in milk and its level of phosphorylation.

Feeding greatly affects milk yield and composition. The research is highlighting the potential of genetic polymorphism at some loci to affect milk yield and quality traits. These loci can be up/down regulated depending on the production environment; therefore, we hypothesized that milk yield and composition could differ when cows with different genotype at SCD, DGAT1 and ABCG2 loci are reared in different feeding systems. The polymorphisms of SCD, DGAT1 and ABCG2 genes were investigated in Modicana breed. In all, three polymorphic sites, responsible for the genetic variation of quantitative trait loci and therefore defined quantitative trait nucleotides, were genotyped: the transition g.10329Cgt;T in 5th exon determines a substitution p.A293V in the SCD, the dinucleotide mutation g.10433-10434AAgt;GC in 8th exon responsible for p.K232A substitution in the DGAT1 and the transition g.62569Agt;C in the 14th exon responsible for p.Y581S substitution in the ABCG2 gene. In the sample of 165 Modicana cows, SCD and DGAT1 genes resulted polymorphic; the alleles g.10329T and g.10433-10434GC were the most frequent in SCD and DGAT1 (0.73 and 0.91) respectively, whereas ABCG2 locus was monomorphic for allele A (p.581Y). Sequencing analysis was carried out on 14 samples with different genotypes to confirm the results of the PCR-RFLP protocols. Based on the genotypes at SCD locus, 47 Modicana cows were selected for the nutritional trial: 24 cows in a semi-intensive farm, with 2 h/day grazing on natural pasture, and 23 cows in an extensive farm, with 8 h/day grazing on natural pasture. Monthly, milk yield and composition were evaluated and individual milk samples were analyzed for fatty acids composition by gas chromatography. No differences in milk yield, fat, protein, lactose, casein and urea were associated to SCD genotype. Feeding systems affected milk yield and composition. No significant genotype×feeding system interaction was observed for milk yield and composition. Fatty acids composition was significantly affected only by the feeding system. Significant interactions were found between SCD genotype and feeding system for six fatty acids: 4:0, 6:0, 8:0, 10:0, 12:0 and t11 18:1. We concluded that the feeding system was the factor that mostly affected milk production and composition; moreover, our results do not confirm what reported in literature as regard the effect of the SCD polymorphism on milk fatty acid composition. The high amount of pasture seemed to have resized the SCD polymorphism effects because of the different fatty acids composition of the diet.

Genome-wide analysis identifies potentially causative genes explaining the phenotypic variability in Pinzirita sheep

In the last years, donkey milk had evidenced a renewed interest as a potential functional food and a breast milk substitute. In this light, the study of the protein composition assumes an important role. In particular, β-lactoglobulin (β-LG), which is considered as one of the main allergenic milk protein, in donkey species consists of two molecular forms, namely β-LG I and β-LG II. In the present research, a genetic analysis coupled with a proteomic approach showed the presence of a new allele, here named F, which is apparently associated with a null or a severely reduced expression of β-LG II protein. The new β-LG II F genetic variant shows a theoretical average mass (Mav) of 18,310.64 Da, a value practically corresponding with that of the variant D (∆mass

Background In the last 50 years, the diversity of cattle breeds has experienced a severe contraction. However, in spite of the growing diffusion of cosmopolite specialized breeds, several local cattle breeds are still farmed in Italy. Genetic characterization of breeds represents an essential step to guide decisions in the management of farm animal genetic resources. The aim of this work was to provide a high-resolution representation of the genome-wide diversity and population structure of Italian local cattle breeds using a medium-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array. Results After quality control filtering, the dataset included 31,013 SNPs for 800 samples from 32 breeds. Our results on the genetic diversity of these breeds agree largely with their recorded history. We observed a low level of genetic diversity, which together with the small size of the effective populations, confirmed that several breeds are threatened with extinction. According to the analysis of runs of homozygosity, evidence of recent inbreeding was strong in some local breeds, such as Garfagnina, Mucca Pisana and Pontremolese. Patterns of genetic differentiation, shared ancestry, admixture events, and the phylogenetic tree, all suggest the presence of gene flow, in particular among breeds that originate from the same geographical area, such as the Sicilian breeds. In spite of the complex admixture events that most Italian cattle breeds have experienced, they have preserved distinctive characteristics and can be clearly discriminated, which is probably due to differences in genetic origin, environment, genetic isolation and inbreeding. Conclusions This study is the first exhaustive genome-wide analysis of the diversity of Italian cattle breeds. The results are of significant importance because they will help design and implement conservation strategies. Indeed, efforts to maintain genetic diversity in these breeds are needed. Improvement of systems to record and monitor inbreeding in these breeds may contribute to their in situ conservation and, in view of this, the availability of genomic data is a fundamental resource. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12711-018-0406-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Representative groups of animals of two endangered local pig breeds (Casertana and Nero Siciliano, both with black skin and raised in Southern-Italy) were cytogenetically investigated and compared to check for the presence of chromosomal abnormalities and to test their chromosome stability by sister chromatid exchange (SCE) test, in their normal breeding conditions. Forty-two Casertana pigs (22 males and 20 females, raised in 3 farms) and 39 Nero Siciliano pigs (19 males and 20 female, raised in 3 farms) were investigated. All animals showed normal CBA- and RBA-banded karyotypes (2n = 38), except for two Nero Siciliano boars (both from the same farm) which showed 2n = 37 being heterozygous carrier of rob (15;17). The translocation was confirmed by FISH-mapping with specific BAC-clones. Both animals were probably hybrids from crosses with the wild pig (2n = 36) present in the Nebrodi mountains where Nero Siciliano is reared with extensive or semi-extensive systems. SCE-test applied on all studied animals revealed no statistical differences between the SCE-mean number of Casertana (7.13 ± 3.20) and Nero Siciliano (6.87 ± 3.12) breeds. Statistical differences were found between SCEs mean values of males (7.26 ± 3.38) and females (6.59 ± 2.90) of Nero Siciliano breed, as well as between females of Casertana (7.24 ± 3.26) and Nero Siciliano (6.59 ± 2.90) breeds, while no statistical differences were found between SCE mean values of males of Casertana (6.98 ± 3.10) and Nero Siciliano (6.45 ± 2.97) breeds, as well as between males and females of Casertana breed.

In the present study, a sample of 88 animals belonging to four local (Modicana, Sarda, Sardo-Bruna and Sardo-Modicana) and one cosmopolitan (Italian Brown Swiss) cattle breeds were genotyped with a medium density SNP beadchip and compared to investigate their genetic diversity and the existence of selection signatures. A total of 43 012 SNPs distributed across all 29 autosomal chromosomes were retained after data quality control. Basic population statistics, Wright fixation index and runs of homozygosity (ROH) analyses confirmed that the Italian Brown Swiss genome was shaped mainly by selection, as underlined by the low values of heterozygosity and minor allele frequency. As expected, local cattle exhibited a large within-breed genetic heterogeneity. The FST comparison revealing the largest number of significant SNPs was Sardo-Bruna vs. Sardo-Modicana, whereas the smallest was observed for Italian Brown Swiss vs. Sardo-Modicana. Modicana exhibited the largest number of detected ROHs, whereas the smallest was observed for Sardo-Modicana. Signatures of selection were detected in genomic regions that harbor genes involved in milk production traits for Italian Brown Swiss and fitness traits for local breeds. According to the results of multi-dimensional scaling and the admixture analysis the Sardo-Bruna is more similar to the Sarda than to the Italian Brown Swiss breed. Moreover, the Sardo-Modicana is genetically closer to the Modicana than to the Sarda breed. Results of the present work confirm the usefulness of single nucleotide polymorphisms in deciphering the genetic architecture of livestock breeds.

Salernitano (SAL) is an ancient Italian horse breed developed over the course of the ages together with Napoletano and, during the 20th century, by crossing with Thoroughbred horse lines. Excellent in hurdle jumping, this breed is currently facing a concrete risk of extinction due to the lack of appropriate management strategies. This research is the first SAL genetic characterization that aims to set up the basic knowledge for a conservation plan. A representative sample of 61 SALs was analyzed by means of a set of 16 microsatellites markers (short tandem repeats (STRs)). The sequence of hypervariable D-loop mtDNA region was also performed on a subset of 24 mares in order to study the maternal diversity and obtain a complete picture of the internal genetic variation. All the molecular data were analyzed together with those obtained from three Sicilian horse breeds investigated in a previous research (Siciliano, Sanfratellano and Sicilian Oriental Purebred). STRs markers revealed a moderate level of genetic diversity in SAL (alleles/locus 5.1, He 0.67) and confirmed the hunch of genetic erosion. Autosomal variability highlighted a very light deficit of homozygotes (FIS=-0.067). Experimental D-loop sequences were compared by multiple alignments with those retrieved from biological databases and revealed two unreported haplotypes. The phylogenetic network, which was built on mtDNA sequences, included various cosmopolitan and European horses and showed SAL haplotypes distributed among different mtDNA lineages.

Donkey milk is particularly recommended for infant nutrition as substitute of cow milk in case of sensitive neonates (showing cow milk protein allergies). Its protein compo‐ sition and the ratio between caseins and whey proteins reveals a high similarity with human milk, thus, in the last 10 years, an increasing interest arose to obtain a full characterisation of donkey milk proteins, here acknowledged. Digestibility data, mainly derived in vitro with human gastrointestinal enzymes, showed the high digestibility of donkey caseins and major whey proteins, except lysozyme and α-lactalbumin which proved to be quite resistant. The reported antimicrobial properties of donkey milk open concrete possibilities to use donkey milk as natural food preservative. Due to its attractive healthy properties, donkey milk was investigated for useful applications or to develop novel foods characterised by a high nutritional profile.

This study analysed the genetic differentiation of six Italian goat breeds reared in Sicily (Girgentana, Maltese, Rossa Mediterranea, Argentata dell’Etna, Messinese) and Calabria (Capra dell’Aspromonte). The aim was to assess the conservation priorities and to design strategies for a sustainable conservation of these populations. A set of 20 microsatellite markers was used to estimate the main parameters of biodiversity in the Italian breeds and in a sample of Norwegian dairy goat breed which was an out-group for the phylogenetic analysis and for the investigation of the population structure. The conservation priorities were assessed in the six Italian goat breeds, through different scientific approaches. In the whole sample (207 goats), representative of 7 populations, a total of 218 alleles (average 10.9) were found. The gene diversity, in terms of expected heterozygosity (H e ), had the lowest values in Norwegian (0.614) and Girgentana (0.708), the highest in Argentata dell’Etna (0.753). The overall fixation index (F ST ) showed a moderate rate of differentiation at population level (5.9%). Norwegian, Girgentana and Maltese reported the highest degree of differentiation in the set. The clustering analysis identified K = 5 as the most probable number of ancestral clusters; among the Italian breeds, Girgentana and Maltese revealed a good internal cohesion, whereas Argentata dell’Etna, Messinese, Capra dell’Aspromonte and Rossa Mediterranea showed a rather high rate of admixture. Finally, the methods implemented to assess conservation priorities pointed out Maltese, Girgentana and, at lesser extent, Messinese and Argentata dell’Etna as the breeds of choice in the context of safeguarding programmes.

This study presents the first insights into the genetic diversity and structure of the American donkey metapopulation. The primary objectives were to detect the main structural features underlying variability among American donkey populations, identify boundaries between differentiated gene pools, and draw the main colonization pathways since the introduction of donkeys into America in the 15th century. A panel of 14 microsatellite markers was applied for genotyping 350 American donkeys from 13 countries. The genetic structure of this metapopulation was analysed using descriptive statistics and Bayesian model-based methods. These populations were then compared to a database containing information on 476 individuals from 11 European breeds to identify the most likely ancestral donor populations. Results showed the presence of two distinct genetic pools, with confluence of the two in Colombia. The southern pool showed a unique genetic signature subsequent to an older founder event, but lacked any significant influence of modern gene flow from Europe. The northern pool, conversely, may have retained more ancestral polymorphisms and/or have experienced modern gene flow from Spanish breeds. The Andalusian and, to a lesser extent, the Catalan breeds have left a more pronounced footprint in some of the American donkey populations analysed.

Milk is a source of bioactive compounds essential for health and growth of newborns. Donkey milk, rich in lactose and whey proteins, has been proven to be a good breast milk substitute during infancy and adequate nourishment for patients with cow milk protein allergy. Beside, this milk is gaining a growing interest for human nutrition because of some other alleged health benefit. It shows antibacterial activity toward a wide range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, stimulates immune system in convalescence, regulates gastrointestinal flora, and prevents inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. As regards its antimicrobial properties, although all the milk components might contribute to this activity, the whey protein fraction of donkey milk is generally believed to play the main role. The aim of this review is to highlight the antimicrobial properties of donkey milk with a special focus on the whey protein fraction. The effects of preservation and processing treatments on whey protein content and antimicrobial activity are also discussed.

Individual donkey milk samples were digested in vitro by a two-step model, using human gastric juice at two different pH values (2 and 4) and further continuous intestinal digestion by human duodenal juice at pH 7.5. The degradation of proteins was assessed after each step. Caseins and β-lactoglobulins were digested rapidly in the gastric juice at pH 2 compared with pH 4 while whey proteins such as lysozyme and α-lactalbumin were very resistant during the total digestion. The identified peptides were mainly derived from β- and αs1-casein and the two β-lactoglobulins. The antimicrobial effect of milk and digested milk samples was tested on selected pathogenic bacteria. No significant inhibition of Bacillus cereus RT INF01 was observed, while a significant growth reduction was shown on Escherichia coli 10208355 during its stationary phase. Digested and undigested donkeys’ milk also significantly inhibited Listeria monocytogenes 2230/92 in a dose dependent way.