Quality Management Practices of Gene Banks for Livestock: A Global Review.

The genetic diversity of livestock is decreasing and many countries have created gene banks for ex situ-in vitro conservation of animal genetic resources (AnGR). The collection, processing, and storage of animal germplasm require substantial investment and the material collected (and associated data) is highly valuable. Therefore, quality management systems (QMSs) and practices are important. The objective of this study was to review the quality management procedures of livestock gene banks around the world to identify the general strengths and weaknesses of quality control. A survey was administered by means of an online questionnaire consisting of 54 questions, most of which were yes/no with respect to the presence of a particular aspect of quality management. The survey was distributed through networks of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations that are associated with AnGR. Ninety responses were received from 62 countries. The gene banks were predominantly public institutions, with the main goal of preventing breed extinction. Approximately 30% of the banks reported having a QMS, 15 of which involved formal certification. Many other banks have plans to implement formal quality management within the next 5 years. Regarding specific aspects of quality management, more emphasis was placed on material entering the banks than on eventual utilization. Among the banks processing and freezing material, 90% followed specific standard operating procedures, but only 24% had policies regarding provision of access to external stakeholders. Increased cooperation among livestock gene banks could improve quality management. Sharing of knowledge could standardize procedures and cooperating peers could evaluate each other's QMSs.

Characterization of Endothelial and Smooth Muscle Cells From Different Canine Vessels.

Vasculature performs a critical function in tissue homeostasis, supply of oxygen and nutrients, and the removal of metabolic waste products. Vascular problems are implicated in a large variety of pathologies and accurate in vitro models resembling native vasculature are of great importance. Unfortunately, existing in vitro models do not sufficiently reflect their in vivo counterpart. The complexity of vasculature requires the examination of multiple cell types including endothelial cells (ECs) and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), as well as vessel location in the body from which they originate. The use of canine blood vessels provides a way to study vasculature with similar vessel size and physiology compared to human vasculature. We report an isolation procedure that provides the possibility to isolate both the endothelial and smooth muscle cells from the same vessels simultaneously, enabling new opportunities in investigating vasculature behavior. Canine primary ECs and VSMCs were isolated from the vena cava, vena porta and aorta. All tissue sources were derived from three donors for accurate comparison and to reduce inter-animal variation. The isolation and purification of the two distinct cell types was confirmed by morphology, gene- and protein-expression and function. As both cell types can be derived from the same vessel, this approach allows accurate modeling of vascular diseases and can also be used more widely, for example, in vascular bioreactors and tissue engineering designs. Additionally, we identified several new genes that were highly expressed in canine ECs, which may become candidate genes for novel EC markers. In addition, we observed transcriptional and functional differences between arterial- and venous-derived endothelium. Further exploration of the transcriptome and physiology of arteriovenous differentiation of primary cells may have important implications for a better understanding of the fundamental behavior of the vasculature and pathogenesis of vascular disease.

Genome-wide based model predicting recovery from portosystemic shunting after liver shunt attenuation in dogs.

BACKGROUND: In dogs with congenital portosystemic shunt (CPSS), recovery after surgical CPSS attenuation is difficult to predict. OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to build a model with plasma albumin concentration and mRNA expression levels of hepatic gene products as predictors of recovery from portosystemic shunting after surgery. ANIMALS: Seventy-three client-owned dogs referred for surgical attenuation of CPSS. METHODS: A prediction model was constructed using 2 case-control studies of recovered and nonrecovered dogs after surgical CPSS attenuation. In the 1st study, a dog-specific gene expression microarray analysis was used to compare mRNA expression in intraoperatively collected liver tissue between 23 recovered and 23 nonrecovered dogs. In the 2nd study, preoperative plasma albumin concentration and the expression of microarray-selected genes were confirmed by RT-qPCR in intraoperatively collected liver samples of 31 recovered and 31 nonrecovered dogs, including 35 dogs from the 1st study. RESULTS: In the 1st study, 43 genes were differently expressed in recovered and nonrecovered dogs. The mean preoperative plasma albumin concentration in recovered dogs was higher compared to nonrecovered dogs (23 and 19 g/L, respectively; P = .004). The best fitting prediction model in the 2nd study included preoperative plasma albumin concentration and intraoperative DHDH, ERLEC1, and LYSMD2 gene expression levels. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: A preclinical model was constructed using preoperative plasma albumin concentration and intraoperative hepatic mRNA expression of 3 genes that were unbiasedly selected from the genome to predict recovery from portosystemic shunting after shunt ligation. Further development is essential for clinical application.