Characterization, genetic and physical mapping analysis of 36 horse plasmid and cosmid-derived microsatellites.

Thirty-six new horse microsatellites (11 from plasmid libraries and 25 from a cosmid library) were isolated and characterized on a panel of four horse breeds. Thirty were found to be polymorphic with heterozygosity levels ranging between 0.20 and 0.87. Twenty-two of the cosmids were physically mapped to R-banded single horse Chromosomes (Chrs) 1, 3, 4, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23 and three to pericentromeric regions. Furthermore, linkage analysis between a selection of 42 DNA markers, including those presented in this study, and 16 conventional markers of the horse hemotype was performed on six paternal half-sib horse families. Five linkage groups were detected, of which four were assigned to Chr 10, 11, 15, and 18. This work increased by one-third the number of published polymorphic DNA markers suitable for horse mapping and approximately doubled the number of known linkage groups. Our cosmids labeled 14 out of the 31 horse autosomes. Moreover, the physical anchoring of part of these markers will orient linkage and synteny groups on the chromosomes and will contribute to their assignment.

Characterization of the goat lactoferrin cDNA: assignment of the relevant locus to bovine U12 synteny group.

Lactoferrin (LTF), which is the major iron-binding protein in milk and physiological fluids, belongs to the transferrin family. We report here the sequence of a caprine LTF cDNA, 2411 bp in length, encoding the pre-protein (709 amino acid residues). Sequence comparisons reveal that structural features, including iron-binding sites, cysteine residues involved in disulphide bonds are remarkably conserved between LTF proteins from various species. Of the 5 potential glycosylation sites identified, only one site appears to be conserved between artiodactyls, rodents and humans. Using a somatic cell hybrid panel, the LTF locus was assigned to the bovine U12 syntenic group. This assignment and the localization of the LTF gene on bovine chromosome 22 (BTA 22) by Schwerin et al. (1) using fluorescent in situ hybridization achieves an additional analogy between a synteny group and a chromosome in cattle. Since serum transferrin (STF) had been previously mapped on BTA 1, in cattle LTF and STF loci are not localized on the same chromosome, conversely to the situation observed in humans (HSA 3) and mice (MMU 9).

Direct characterization of bovine microsatellites from cosmids: polymorphism and synteny mapping.

A (TG)8 oligonucleotide probe was used to screen 186 cosmids from a commercial bovine cosmid library. Of the 56 positive discovered, 7 were sequenced in the region of the microsatellite and analysed for polymorphism. These microsatellites, IDVGA-2, -3, -7, -8, -9, -10, -11 showed the following number of alleles and polymorphism information content (PIC) values (7/0.616, 8/0.693, 6/0.641, 5/0.643, 2/0.239, 10/0.844, 6/0.720). The microsatellites were also assigned to synteny groups as follows: IDVGA-2/U17, IDVGA-3/U16, IDVGA-7/U7, IDVGA-8/U29, IDVGA-9/U3, IDVGA-10/U19, IDVGA-11/A (probably U18).

Fifteen new synteny assignments of microsatellites to the bovine genome.

A panel of 36 hamster-bovine hybrid cell lines was used to assign 15 bovine microsatellites. Locus identification, synteny group and/or chromosome assignment and registration number were as follows: ILSTS001 (U22, Chr07, D7S13), ILSTS002 (U09, Chr18, D18S7), ILSTS004 (U10, Chr01, D1S28), ILSTS005 (U05, Chr10, D10S25), ILSTS006 (U22, Chr07, D7S8), ILSTS008 (U24, Chr14, D14S15), ILSTS010 (U27, DU27S11), ILSTS011 (U24, Chr14, D14S16), ILSTS012 (U16, Chr11, D11S26), ILSTS015 (U07, Chr25, D25S3), ILSTS016 (U04, Chr21, D21S22), ILSTS017 (X, DXS11), ILSTS018 (U15, Chr06, D6S15), ILSTS019 (U07, Chr25, D25S7) and ILSTS020 (U05, Chr10, D10S27). These results contribute to the international effort to improve the bovine genetic map.

Further characterization of a somatic cell hybrid panel: ten new assignments to the bovine genome.

Thirty-six partially characterized hamster-bovine hybrid cell lines were used for the determination of synteny groups. Sixteen additional reference loci, selected for their coverage of the bovine genome, were analysed on these hybrid cells. This increases to 25 the number of synteny groups detected. This panel was then used to make synteny assignments for 10 additional loci, eight by Southern blotting (COL1A1, COL1A2, FAS, CTSB, CTSL, CHRNG, HEXB and HTR1A) and two by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification (HRH1 and ETH1112). These loci were assigned to international synteny groups U12 (HRH1), U13 (COL1A2), U17 (CHRNG), U21 (COL1A1, FAS), U29 (ETH1112), to chromosome 20 (U14 or U25) for HEXB and HTR1A, and to the same local synteny group (A), which is probably U18, for CTSB and CTSL. For three loci already mapped in humans (COL1A1, COL1A2 and CHRNG), the present results are in accordance with the predictions based on comparative mapping between the human and bovine species.

20-alpha-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase from pseudopregnant rat ovary: obtention and characterization of a monoclonal antibody against the enzyme activity.

The enzyme 20-alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (20-alpha-HSD) was purified from pseudopregnant rat ovaries and used as antigen for the development of a monoclonal antibody by the hybridoma technique. Spleen cells of BALB/c mice immunized with purified 20-alpha-HSD were fused with SP2/0 mouse myeloma cells. Among the colonies of hybrid cells, one (designated mAb-HSD 11) was found to be secreting antibodies (IgM) able to inhibit 20-alpha-HSD activity. The antibody-secreting hybridome was amplified by ascitic fluid production and the monoclonal antibody purified by Bakerbond ABx procedure. Purified mAb-HSD 11 was able to inhibit 20-alpha-HSD activity in a dose-dependent manner. Studies of Michaelis constants of 20-alpha-HSD indicate that this monoclonal antibody increases the Km for 20-alpha-dihydroprogesterone and decreases the Vmax.

Mouse monoclonal antibodies to bovine blood group antigens: additional results.

Seven fusions of mouse myeloma cells with spleen cells from mice immunized with bovine red cells yielded 61 clones producing discriminant antibodies out of total of 651 secreting clones. Although antigenic factors of all known bovine blood group systems were present on the donors' cells, the antibodies identified reacted with antigenic factors from only five systems, A, B, F, S and Z. The antibody specificities produced by more than two clones were anti-A1 or -A2 (21 clones), -S (9),- Z(6),-G' (3) and -V1 (3). The absence of clones secreting antibodies to antigens of the other systems, especially the complex C system, remains unexplained. The properties of the antibodies reacting with antigens of the S system (anti-SU", anti-SUU') and of the B system (O-like antibodies) are in accordance with previous interpretations of polyclonal sera and with present knowledge of the genetic map of the B system.