First Results on the Presence of Mycotoxins in the Liver of Pregnant Fallow Deer (Dama dama) Hinds and Fetuses.

Reproductive abnormalities have been observed in fallow deer populations in Hungary. We supposed mycotoxin contamination to be one of the possible causes because multi-mycotoxin contamination is known to be dangerous even at low toxin levels, especially for young animals. We investigated the spatial pattern of mycotoxin occurrences and the relationship between maternal and fetal mycotoxin levels. A total of 72 fallow deer embryos and their mothers were sampled in seven forested regions in Hungary in the 2020/2021 hunting season. We analyzed Aflatoxin (AF), Zearalenone (ZEA), Fumonizin B1 (FB1), DON, and T2-toxin concentrations in maternal and fetal livers by ELISA. AF was present in 70% and 82%, ZEA in 41% and 96%, DON in 90% and 98%, T2-toxin in 96% and 85%, and FB1 in 84% and 3% of hind and fetus livers, respectively. All mycotoxins passed into the fetus, but only Fumonizin B1 rarely passed. The individual variability of mycotoxin levels was extremely high, but the spatial differences were moderate. We could not prove a relation between the maternal and fetal mycotoxin concentrations, but we found an accumulation of ZEA and DON in the fetuses. These results reflect the possible threats of mycotoxins to the population dynamics and reproduction of wild fallow deer.

Hungarian indigenous Tsigai, a promising breed for excellent heat tolerance and immunity.

The adverse effects of climate change on sheep farming have become more noticeable in recent decades. Extensive efforts have been made to untangle the complex relationship between heat tolerance, animal health, and productivity, also to identify a resilient and economically suitable breed for selection that can be resilient to future climate change conditions. Using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), we observed the seasonal variations in the expression of several important genes related to heat stress and immunity (HSP70, IL10, TLR2, TLR4, and TLR8) in three of the most widely kept sheep breeds in Hungary: The indigenous Tsigai, Hungarian Merino, and White Dorper. We found that the seasonal stressor affected the relative gene expression of all genes in this study. Notably, The Hungarian indigenous Tsigai was the most robust breed adapted to the Hungarian continental (hot summer, cold winter) environment, with excellent thermotolerance and immunity. Furthermore, despite suffering from heat stress in the summer, Hungarian Merino maintained their robust immune system well throughout the year.

Glomerulosclerosis in transgenic rabbits with ubiquitous Venus protein expression.

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a potential cause of nephrotic syndrome both in humans and pet mammals. Glomerulopathy was reported earlier in green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgenic (TG) mice, but glomerulosclerosis has not been examined in GFP TG rabbits so far. In the present study, the potential manifestation of FSGS was investigated in both Venus TG rabbits generated by Sleeping Beauty (SB) transposition and age-matched control New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits. Venus protein fluorescence was detected by confocal microscopy and quantified by microplate reader. Urinalysis, haematology, serum biochemistry and renal histology were performed to assess the signs of FSGS. Higher levels of Venus fluorescence were determined in renal cortex samples than in the myocardium by both methods. Urinalysis revealed proteinuria in Venus heterozygote TG bucks, while Venus homozygote TG bucks developed microscopic haematuria. Supporting the urinalysis data, the histological findings of FSGS (glomerulomegaly and sclerotic glomeruli) were observed in renal cortex sections of Venus TG rabbits. Taken together, Venus TG bucks were diagnosed with FSGS; thus, this type of glomerulopathy could be a common disease in TG animals overexpressing GFP.

Placenta-specific gene manipulation in rabbits.

Lentiviral gene constructs can be efficiently and specifically delivered to trophoblast cell lineages in rodents. In vivo genetic manipulation of trophoblast cell lines enables functional and developmental studies in the placenta. In this report we show that genetic modification can be produced in the extraembryonic tissues of rabbits by lentiviral gene constructs. When 8-16 cell stage embryos were injected with lentiviral particles, strong reporter gene expression resulted in the rabbit placenta. The expression pattern displayed some mosaicism. A strikingly high degree of mosaic GFP expression was detected in some parts of the yolk sac, which is a hypoblast-derived tissue. Whereas expression of the reporter gene construct was detected in placentas and yolk sacs, fetuses never expressed the transgene. As rabbits are an ideal model for functional studies in the placenta, our method would open new possibilities in rabbit biotechnology and placentation studies.