FBXW7 polymorphism asserts susceptibility to colorectal cancer.

FBXW7, belonging to the F-Box protein family, is considered a candidate cancer susceptibility gene. Our findings indicate that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the FBXW7 gene are linked to cancer risk, strengthening FBXW7's role in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer. Our case-control study comprised of 450 patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CRC) and an equal number of 450 healthy subjects. FBXW7 SNPs rs2255137C>T and rs6842544C>T were genotyped using PCR-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and Single-Stranded Conformation Polymorphism (SSCP) techniques and further cross-checked by direct sequencing. Linkage disequilibrium and haplotype analyses of these SNPs were also assessed. The in-silico approach was used to reveal the functional analysis between the nonsynonymous variation (rs6842544) and CRC followed by its validation at the protein level by western blotting and reverse transcription-PCR. A significant association of colorectal cancer was detected with rs6842544 SNP. However, there was no association between FBXW7 rs2255137 polymorphism and CRC. The homozygous individuals carrying the C variant in FBXW7 rs6842544 showed a slightly higher risk for colorectal cancer (OR = 1.590, 95%CI = 0.39 âˆ¼ 2.89, p = 0.011). The haplotype CC identified in this study seemed to be associated with good prognosis (OR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.00 âˆ¼ 1.47, p = 0.0013) whereas the TT haplotype was found to reduce the CRC risk (OR = 0.642, 95%CI = 0.48 âˆ¼ 0.84, p = 0.039). In-silico prediction proposed that the variant R133G is responsible for the lower expression of FBXW7. Additionally, the expression profiling of FBXW7 nonsynonymous SNP was significantly lower in primary CRC tissues than in the paired non-cancerous tissues at protein and mRNA levels. The study indicates that the FBXW7 rs6842544 is associated with the risk of development of CRC and could serve as a molecular biological marker to screen high-risk groups for CRC.

Polymorphisms and expressions of ADSL, MC4R and CAPN1 genes and their effects on economic traits in Egyptian chicken breeds.

In recent years, strategic plans for poultry production have emphasized quantitative traits, particularly body weight and carcass traits (meat yield), in response to overpopulation challenges. Candidate genes such as adenylosuccinate lyase (ADSL), melanocortin-4-receptor (MC4R), and calpain 1 (CAPN1) have played vital roles in this context due to their associations with muscle growth and body composition. This study aims to investigate the influence of polymorphisms and gene expressions of the aforementioned genes on body weight (BW), growth rate (GR), breast weight (BrW), and thigh weight (TW) across four distinct chicken breeds: Fayoumi, Matrouh, Mamourah, and Leghorn. The use of PCR-SSCP analysis revealed genetic polymorphisms through the identification of various patterns (genotypes) within the three examined genes. The ADSL, MC4R, and CAPN1 genes exhibited five, three, and two different genotypes, respectively. These polymorphisms displayed promising connections with enhancing economically significant production traits, particularly BW, BrW and TW. Furthermore, gene expression analyses were conducted on breast and thigh tissues obtained from the chicken breeds at 60 days of age, where ADSL and MC4R exhibited a noteworthy up-regulation in Fayoumi and Matrouh breeds, and down-regulation in Mamourah and Leghorn. In contrast, CAPN1 expression decreased across most breeds with a slight increase noted in Fayoumi breed. In conclusion, this investigation underscores the substantial impact of ADSL, MC4R, and CAPN1 genes on economically important production traits within Egyptian domestic chicken breeds. Consequently, these genes emerge as significant molecular markers, holding potential utility in avian selection and breeding programs aimed at enhancing productive performance.

PATHOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF CDH1/E-CADHERIN GERMLINE SEQUENCE VARIANTS IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS.

BACKGROUND: Germline alterations of the CDH1 (E-cadherin) tumor suppressor gene have been reported in several epithelial malignancies like hereditary diffuse gastric cancer and lobular breast cancer. E-cadherin plays a central role in proliferation, maintenance of cell-to-cell adhesion, polarity, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of tissue cells. It is necessary to analyze the impact of the CDH1 germline sequence variants on protein and predict its clinical significance in breast cancer (BC) progression. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the impact and association of CDH1 gene potentially pathogenic variants/likely pathogenic variants (PVs/LPVs) with the initiation and progression of BC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, the clinical data of 200 BC patients have been analyzed based on the type of BC, age, grade, stage, hormonal status, and risk factors. Blood samples from 50 healthy donors were used as a control. Furthermore, CDH1 gene molecular analysis, along with in silico analysis, was provided to assess the invasiveness and progression of BC caused by the E-cadherin protein. RESULTS: Four variants were identified by genetic screening within the CDH1 gene that included variations in exons 7, 8, 10, 11, and 13. Exon 10 had splice site mutation at position c.1337C>A, affecting the protein structure. In exon 11, there was an insertion of T base at position 1669, resulting in truncated protein compared to a normal one that can lead to the disease-causing non- sense-mediated decay and exon 13 variant c.2076T>C has already known polymorphism. In silico analysis of CDH1 showed the presence of the different variants that indicated the overall disruption of protein structure and function. CONCLUSIONS: The further functional analysis of these variants and their association with BC can be ensured by increasing the sample size and in vivo studies using mouse models.

Monitoring Drought Tolerance in Oil Palm: Choline Monooxygenase as a Novel Molecular Marker.

Water scarcity negatively impacts oil palm production, necessitating the development of drought-tolerant varieties. This study aimed to develop molecular markers for oil palm breeding programs focused on drought tolerance. Genes associated with drought tolerance were selected, and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based markers were developed. Genomic DNA was successfully extracted from 17 oil palm varieties, and 20 primers out of 44 were effectively amplified. Screening with single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) revealed an informative SNP marker from the choline monooxygenase (CMO) gene, exhibiting CC, CT, and TT genotypes. Notably, the oil palm variety La Mé showed the CT genotype, while Surat Thani 2 (Deli × La Mé) exhibited the CT and CC genotypes in a 1:1 ratio. Gene expression analysis confirmed the association of the CMO gene with drought tolerance in commercial oil palm varieties. The full-length CMO gene was 1308 bp long and shared sequence similarities with other plant species. However, amino acid sequence variations were observed compared with existing databases. These findings highlight the potential utility of the CMO marker for drought tolerance selection, specifically within the La Mé parent of oil palm Surat Thani 2 varieties, and strongly confirm the La Mé S5 population and Surat Thani 2 as drought-tolerant varieties.

Documentation of Genetic Diversity by Insulin-Like Growth Factor1 Receptor (Exon2) Gene for Fallow Deer (Dama dama) in Iraq.

Insulin-Like Growth Factor1 Receptor (Exon2) (IGF1R) gene plays a vital role in physiological impacts, such as growth, development, reproduction, and metabolism. A significant difference was noted between the IGR1R (exon 2) gene and the body weight of Dama dama. In addition, the heterozygosity pattern (AB) was significantly higher than the other pattern (AA). There are three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; 144G>C, 147A>G, and 210A>C) within the IGF-1R (exon 2) locus. The statistical analyses indicated the presence of three different haplotypes (GAA, CAA, and GGC). The analysis of relative frequencies indicated that the most frequent haplotype in the studied Dama dama population was Hap3 (GGC) (43.4782%) out of the three observed haplotypes. The results of SSCP-PCR revealed the variability of the target gene between the genotype frequencies in Fallow deer (Dama dama) with a high level of significance (P≤0.01) with two patterns (AA and AB) and an absence of BB pattern. The allele frequency of AA record a high level (71.74%) than the other genotype (AB) (28.26%), with a high-frequency level of the A allele (0.86) than the B allele (0.14). In current findings, SSCP genotyped in the Dama dama DNA observed an estimated 72% monomorphic loci and 28% polymorphic loci approximately. Hardy Weinberg equilibrium test (HW) was applied to the SSCP-PCR data matrix, and the statistical test was based on a chi-square (χ2) test. Chi-square was (55.928%) with a highly significant level (P≤0.01) recorded in the present study. As related to AA and AB genotypes mean, a significant difference (P≤0.05) was noted between IGF1R (exon 2) gene with a body weight of Dama dama, as well as the heterozygosity pattern (AB), was significantly (P≤0.05) higher than the other pattern (AA) (30.34±3.01kg versus 24.85±1.94kg), respectively. A significant impact (P≤0.05) between IGF1R (exon2) polymorphism and heart girth was founded to be related to the AB pattern (heterozygous) (76.92 ± 3.20 cm), whereas the lower value was related to the AA pattern (71.33 ± 2.49 cm). No significant differences in effects were shown in relation to body length and height at the shoulder. The present study is also interested in genetic characterization by calculating (Ne) as a tool for genetic diversity. Therefore, the number of alleles detected (Na) indicates that two alleles only were unique in the population of the study, with (1.3204) being the number of efficient alleles (Ne). Moreover, Shannon's Information index was recorded at 0.4073. The observed homozygosity (O.Hom.) and heterozygosity (HO) were (0.7174 and 0.2826), respectively. The values of expected homozygosity (E.Hom.) and heterozygosity (HE) were 0.7547 and 0.2453, respectively. The genetic diversity of Nei was 0.2427. The results showed an unexpected influx of IGF1R diversity measured by Fis and recorded the value (- 0.1646). In this sense, the results of the current study may be considered an approximation to the total genetic diversity of the population of Dama dama in Iraq, but the information obtained is relevant to proposing the strategies of conservation for the genetic diversity observed.

Association of mutation and expression of the brother of the regulator of imprinted sites (BORIS) gene with breast cancer progression.

INTRODUCTION: The BORIS, 11 zinc-finger transcription factors, is a member of the cancer-testis antigen (CTA) family. It is mapped to chromosome number 20q13.2 and this region is genetically linked to the early onset of breast cancer. The current study analyzed the correlation between BORIS mutations and the expression of the protein in breast cancer cases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A population-based study including a total of 155 breast cancer tissue samples and an equal number of normal adjacent tissues from Indian female breast cancer patients was carried out. Mutations of the BORIS gene were detected by polymerase chain reaction-single standard confirmation polymorphisms (PCR-SSCP) and automated DNA sequencing and by immunohistochemistry for BORIS protein expression were performed. The observed findings were correlated with several clinicopathological parameters to find out the clinical relevance of associations. RESULTS: Of all the cases 16.12% (25/155) showed mutations in the BORIS gene. The observed mutations present on codon 329 are missense, leading to Val> Ile (G>A) change on exon 5 of the BORIS gene. A significant association was observed between mutations of the BORIS gene and some clinicopathological features like nodal status (p = 0.013), estrogen receptor (ER) expression (p = 0.008), progesterone receptor (PR) expression (p = 0.039), clinical stage (p = 0.010) and menopausal status (p = 0.023). The protein expression analysis showed 20.64% (32/155) samples showing low or no expression (+), 34.19% (53/155) with moderate expression (++), and 45.17% (70/155) showing high expression (+++) of BORIS protein. A significant association was observed between the expression of BORIS protein and clinicopathological features like clinical stage (p = 0.013), nodal status (p = 0.049), ER expression (p = 0.039), and PR expression (p = 0.027). When mutation and protein expression were correlated in combination with clinicopathological parameters a significant association was observed in the category of high (+++) level of BORIS protein expression (p = 0.017). CONCLUSION: The BORIS mutations and high protein expression occur frequently in carcinoma of the breast suggesting their association with the onset and progression of breast carcinoma. Further, the BORIS has the potential to be used as a biomarker.

Association of the IGF1 5'UTR Polymorphism in Meat-Type Sheep Breeds Considering Growth, Body Size, Slaughter, and Meat Quality Traits in Turkey.

This investigation was conducted to determine how the growth and carcass traits of meat-type sheep breeds raised in Turkey are associated with IGF1 5'UTR polymorphisms. Overall, 202 lambs from five breeds were evaluated. We identified eight nucleotide changes (seven substitutions and one deletion) in three variants of IGF1 5'UTR by SSCP analysis and nucleotide sequencing. It was found that the P1 variants had a unique deletion (g.171328230 delT), while the P2 variants were identified by SNPs rs401028781, rs422604851, and g.171328404C > Y. The P3 variants possessed one heterozygous substitution (g.171328260G > R) and three homozygous substitutions (g.171328246T > A, g.171328257T > G, g.171328265T > C) not observed in P1 or P2. Based on the growth and production traits, a statistically significant difference was found only in chest width at weaning (p < 0.01) and leg circumferences at yearling (p < 0.05). The P1 variants showed a leaner profile with a higher Musculus longissimus dorsi, but the differences were not significant (p > 0.05). The P2 variants had a higher percentage of rack (p < 0.01) and loin (p > 0.05). Moreover, there was no discernible difference between variants, even though the P3 variants had a higher percentage of neck and leg and the P1 variants had a higher percentage of the shoulder. It is concluded that nucleotide changes in IGF1 5'UTR could be exploited utilizing a marker-assisted selection technique to increase growth and production attributes, as well as carcass quality traits.

Electroanalytical Trace Metal Cations Quantification and Speciation in Freshwaters: Historical Overview, Critical Review of the Last Five Years and Road Map for Developing Dynamic Speciation Field Measurements.

An historical overview covering the field of electroanalytical metal cations speciation in freshwaters is presented here, detailing both the notable experimental and theoretical developments. Then, a critical review of the progress in the last five years is given, underlining in particular the improvements in electrochemical setups and methodologies dedicated to field surveys. Given these recent achievements, a road map to carry out on-site dynamic metal speciation measurements is then proposed, and the key future developments are discussed. This review shows that electroanalytical stripping techniques provide a unique framework for quantitatively assessing metals at trace levels while offering access to both thermodynamic and dynamic features of metal complexation with natural colloidal and particulate ligands.

Allele mining in gene encoding fc fragment of IgG receptor, transporter, alpha (FCGRT) and association of nucleotide variants with passive transfer of immunity in neonatal buffalo calves.

BACKGROUND: Neonatal Fc receptors (FcRn) mediate the transcytosis of IgG present in colostrum across absorptive gut epithelium of newborn calves. FcRn receptor is a heterodimer composed of two polypeptides encoded by FCGRT (Fc fragment of IgG Receptor Transporter neonatal) and B2M (Beta 2 microglobulin) genes. Polymorphism in FCGRT gene may have a bearing on absorption of colostral immunoglobulins by neonatal buffalo calves, thereby affecting their immune status and susceptibility to diseases. The primary aim of our study was to mine alleles and single nucleotide polymorphs in the FCGRT gene and determine their association with the levels of IgG in serum of neonatal buffalo calves. METHODS AND RESULTS: On the basis of serum IgG levels estimated by indirect ELISA in 80 newborn calves, 20 calves each with highest and lowest IgG concentration were selected to study polymorphism in the FCGRT gene. The exonic regions of this gene were amplified in nine fragments which were subjected to PCR-SSCP to detect variations followed by the sequencing of variants to locate the SNPs. A total of nine SNPs (7 in introns and 2 in exons) were detected in four polymorphic fragments. Association study based on Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% Confidence Interval (CIs) established that the SNP G40T in fragment 3 has a significant (P < 0.05) bearing on IgG level in serum of neonatal buffalo calves. CONCLUSION: Genetic variation in FCGRT gene in buffalo calves was found to be associated with their serum IgG levels in neonatal stage which may have implications in calf survival and growth vis-à-vis inadequate transfer of passive immunity.

A SNP in the ovine cathepsin K (CTSK) gene is associated with yearling growth performance in a crossbred sheep population.

Cathepsin K (CTSK) is a lysosomal protease existent in the skeletal muscles which is involved in biochemical processes related to obesity. Several studies have reported the effects of CTSK gene on body weight and fat deposition in human, mice and pigs. However, information about its structure and functions in sheep is very limited. Thus, this study was performed to evaluate the association between CTSK gene variants and yearling growth performance in Afshari × Booroola-Merino crossbred sheep. A fragment of 500 bp in exon 6 and partial of intron 5 of CTSK gene was amplified with polymerase chain reaction (PCR). All animals were genotyped by single-stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and further confirmed by sequencing. Association analysis using a fixed linear model indicated that g.106510225G > A SNP was significantly related to average daily weight gain (ADWG) per year, fat-tail weight to carcass weight ratio (FW/CW), muscle thickness (MT) and muscle cross-sectional area (MCSA) of animals (p < 0.05). Due to the low polymorphic information content (PIC <0.25) for targeted locus in studied population, more association studies are needed to confirm the CTSK gene effects on growth traits in sheep.

Association analysis of prolactin and prolactin receptor genes with selected productive and reproductive traits in Egyptian buffalo.

A total of 266 records of buffalo raised in two experimental herds in Egypt were assessed to detect prolactin (PRL) and prolactin receptor (PRLR) genes' polymorphism using PCR-Single Strand Conformational Polymorphism (SSCP) and PCR-Restricted Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) techniques as well as to investigate their association with calf birth weight (BW), weaning weight (WW), lactation period (LP), total milk yield (TMY), stillbirth, calving ease (CE), gestation length (GL), postpartum interval to pregnancy (PPIP), calving interval (CI), and age at first calving (AFC). Predicted breeding values were estimated and used in the association with detected genotypes. A monomorphic pattern of the studied PRL 156 bp segment was recorded and absence of its polymorphism in buffalo was corroborated. We also determined polymorphism of PRLR reflected in three loci: PRLR2, PRLR4, and PRLR9. Significant differences among PRLP9 genotypes (AA, AB, and BB) were displayed for all studied traits as well as among PRLR2 genotypes, except for CE, while PRLR4 genotypes significantly differed only in BW, WW, TMY, stillbirth, GL, and AFC. In practice, strong associations among genotypes of the PRLR gene and the traits of interest candidate this gene to be selective in Egyptian buffalo breeding for improving both productive and reproductive traits.

Variation in the ovine FOXP3 gene and its effect on growth traits in Egyptian Barki sheep.

The aim of the present study was to detect the FOXP3 gene polymorphisms in Barki sheep at a variable region covering exon 13, intron 13 and the coding sequence in exon 14 and to test the association of these polymorphisms with growth traits. 122 Barki lambs were phenotyped for various growth traits, viz., birth weight (BW), weaning weight (WW), pre-weaning daily gain in weight (ADG1), post-weaning daily gain in weight (ADG2) and marketing bodyweight (MW). The polymerase chain reaction - single-strand conformational polymorphisms (PCR-SSCP) and DNA sequencing methods were used to identify the genetic variants in the FOXP3 gene. The associations between the variation in FOXP3 gene and growth traits were tested using a general linear model. Two variants (F1 and F2 with gene frequencies of 0.64 and 0.36, respectively), and three genotypes (F1F1, F1F2 and F2F2 with frequencies of 0.37, 0.53 and 0.10, respectively) were detected. The association of FOXP3 genotype was significant (p < 0.05) with ADG2 and MW. It is concluded that FOXP3 genotype might be helpful for sheep breeders to produce fast-growing lambs. However, further studies are needed in a large population to confirm the association we found.

Analysis of the eighth intron polymorphism of NR6A1 gene in sheep and its correlation with lumbar spine number.

For revealing molecular markers related to the traits of multiple lumbar vertebrae in sheep, we analyze the relationship between NR6A1 gene polymorphism and lumbar vertebrae number traits in Xinjiang Kazakh sheep. Lumbar muscle tissues were collected from 6-lumbar spine (L6) Kazak sheep and 7-lumbar spine (L7) Kazak sheep and the intron-8 of NR6A1 gene was amplified by PCR. The SNP locus was detected by the PCR-SSCP method. One-Way ANOVA and an Independent Chi-square Test is adopted to analyze the genotype association with lumbar spine number variation. There were two SNP loci in the intron-8 of the NR6A1 gene: IVS8-188 and IVS8-281. One-Way ANOVA and Independent Chi-square Test indicated a significant association between IVS8-281 and lumbar spine number. The SNP locus of NR6A1 gene intron 8 (IVS8-281G > A) could play a certain role in the variation of lumbar spine number in Xinjiang Kazakh sheep and demonstrates potential to accelerate the sheep breeding of selection process.

Variation in Ovine DGAT1 and Its Association with Carcass Muscle Traits in Southdown Sheep.

Diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) is a microsomal enzyme that plays a key role in the synthesis of triglycerides. Its gene (DGAT1) is regarded as a candidate gene for variation in milk and meat traits in cattle. The objective of this study was to use a PCR single-strand conformation polymorphism approach to explore sequence variation in two regions of ovine DGAT1 and to assess its effect on meat traits in New Zealand Southdown sheep. Three variant nucleotide sequences were identified in each region, with two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and one nucleotide deletion being detected in intron 1 and two SNPs being found in exon 17. The effect of the exon 17 variation was not investigated due to one variant being predominant and the other two variants occurring at low frequencies. In intron 1, one variant (B1) was found to be associated with increase loin meat yield, suggesting that this may have value as a gene marker for improving meat traits.

An experimental protocol for teaching CRISPR/Cas9 in a post-graduate plant laboratory course: An analysis of mutant-edited plants without sequencing.

The CRISPR/Cas9 system is widely used for editing genes in various organisms and is a very useful tool due to its versatility, simplicity, and efficiency. To teach its principles to post-graduate students we designed a laboratory activity to obtain and analyze PDS3 mutants in Arabidopsis thaliana plants consisting of: 1) Design of guide RNAs using bioinformatics tools; 2) plant transformation (which is optional depending on the length of the course); 3) observation and evaluation of the mutant's phenotypes in the Phytoene desaturase (PDS3) gene, which exhibit an albino phenotype and different degrees of mosaicism in the editing events we evaluated; 4) PCR amplification of a fragment that includes the mutated region followed by analysis of single-stranded DNA conformation polymorphisms (SSCP) using native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and silver nitrate staining to detect changes in the amplicon sequence due to gene editing. Through SSCP, the students were able to distinguish between homozygous and heterozygous edited plants. A highlight feature of this protocol is the visualization and detection of the mutation/edition without sequencing the edited fragment.

The prevalence of common CFTR gene mutations and polymorphisms in infertile Iranian men with very severe oligozoospermia.

Due to progress in infertility etiology, several genetic bases of infertility are revealed today. This study aimed to investigate the distribution of mutations in the CFTR gene, M470V polymorphism, and IVS8 poly T. Furthermore, we aimed to examine the hotspot exons (4, 7, 9, 10, 11, 20, and 21 exons) to find a new mutation in cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene among infertile Iranian men very severe oligozoospermia (<1 million sperm/mL ejaculate fluid). In the present case-control study, 200 very severe oligozoospermia (20-60s) and 200 fertile men (18-65s) were registered. Five common CFTR mutations were genotyped using the ARMS-PCR technique. The M470V polymorphism was checked out by real-time PCR, and poly T and exons were sequenced. The F508del was the most common (4.5%) CFTR gene mutation; G542X and W1282X were detected with 1.5% and 1%, respectively. N1303K and R117H were detected in 0.5% of cases. F508del was seen as a heterozygous compound with G542X in one patient and with W1282X in the other patient. Also, in the case of M470V polymorphism, there are differences between the case and control groups (p=0.013). Poly T assay showed statistical differences in some genotypes. The study showed no new mutation in the exons mentioned above. Our results shed light on the genetic basis of men with very severe oligozoospermia in the Iranian population, which will support therapy decisions among infertile men.

Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) Diversity of the Reintroduction Populations of Endangered Przewalski's Horse.

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes are the most polymorphic in vertebrates and the high variability in many MHC genes is thought to play a crucial role in pathogen recognition. The MHC class II locus DQA polymorphism was analyzed in the endangered Przewalski's horse, Equus przewalskii, a species that has been extinct in the wild and all the current living individuals descend from 12 founders. We used the polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) to detect the polymorphism within the MHC DQA in 31 Przewalski's horses from two reintroduced populations. Consequently, only seven alleles were identified, with only four presenting in each population. In comparison with other mammals, the Przewalski's horse demonstrated less MHC variation. The nucleotide genetic distance of the seven ELA-DQA alleles was between 0.012 and 0.161. The Poisson corrected amino acid genetic distance of the founded alleles was 0.01-0.334. The allele and genotype frequencies of both reintroduced populations of Przewalski's horse deviated from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Specific MHC DQA alleles may have been lost during the extreme bottleneck event that this species underwent throughout history. We suggest the necessity to detect the genetic background of individuals prior to performing the reintroduction project.

Antecedents for blockchain technology-enabled sustainable agriculture supply chain.

Blockchain can solve the problems that the agriculture supply chain (ASC) is facing to achieve sustainable growth. In a nation like India, blockchain application in the supply chain is still new; therefore, supply chain players need a better understanding and awareness of blockchain through valuable insights. This article aims to study the mediating role of blockchain technology adoption (BLCT) for sustainable supply chain performance (SSCP). This study investigates the influence of numerous factors such as green and lean practices, supply chain integration, supply chain risk, performance expectancy, top management support, cost, internal and external environmental conditions, regulatory support, and innovation capability on BLCT adoption. A sample of 316 respondents from Indian ASC industries was collected, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used. This study's outcomes show that green and lean practices, supply chain integration, supply chain risks, internal and external conditions, regulatory support, innovation capability, and cost positively influence BLCT adoption. Moreover, BLCT positively influences sustainable agriculture supply chain performance. This article is valuable for policymakers, managers, service providers, researchers, and academicians to understand the role of factors in influencing BLCT and BLCT's role in improving sustainable supply chain performance (SSCP).

Sequence Variation in the Bovine Lipin-1 Gene (LPIN1) and Its Association with Milk Fat and Protein Contents in New Zealand Holstein-Friesian × Jersey (HF × J)-cross Dairy Cows.

Lipin-1 is known to play a regulatory role in tissues that function in lipid metabolism. In dairy cows, the lipin-1 gene (LPIN1) is highly expressed in the mammary gland, but its function in milk production is less understood. In this study, we used PCR-single strand conformation polymorphism analysis to investigate sequence variation in three regions of bovine LPIN1 in New Zealand Holstein-Friesian × Jersey (HF × J)-cross dairy cows, including part of the 5' non-coding region, the region containing the LPIN1ß-spliced exon, and the sixth coding exon that encodes the putative transcriptional activating domain of the protein. No variation was found in the LPIN1ß-spliced exon, but two sequence variants containing one single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) were identified in the 5' non-coding region and four sequence variants containing four non-synonymous SNPs were identified in the sixth coding exon. Among the three common variants of the sixth coding exon, variant C was found to be associated with an increase in milk fat percentage (presence 4.96 ± 0.034% vs. absence 4.81 ± 0.050%; p = 0.006) and milk protein percentage (presence 4.09 ± 0.017% vs. absence 3.99 ± 0.025%; p = 0.001), but no associations (p > 0.01) were detected for milk yield. These results suggest that variation in LPIN1 affect the synthesis of fat and proteins in milk and has potential as a gene-marker to improve milk production traits.

Evaluation the Presence of SERPINA5 (Exon 3) and FTO rs9939609 Polymorphisms in Papillary Thyroid Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND: A few researches evaluated the association of polymorphisms at SERPINA5 and fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO) genes with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) globally. Here, we examined the presence of genetic variations within coding exon 3 of SERPINA5 gene and FTO rs9939609 polymorphism in Iranian PTC patients. METHODS: A total of 122 patients (42 cases for SERPINA5 and 80 cases for FTO gene) and 120 healthy subjects (40 subjects or SERPINA5 and 80 subjects for FTO gene) were recruited. The genetic variation within coding exon 3 of SERPINA5 gene was evaluated by reaction-single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) and FTO rs9939609 polymorphism was evaluated by RFLP-PCR assay. RESULTS: The PCR-SSCP technique detected two rs6115G>A and rs6112T>C genetic variations within coding exon 3 of SERPINA5 gene and approved also by direct sequencing. For rs6112T>C polymorphism seven patients was heterozygous and for rs6115G>A seven PTC patients were heterozygous and two patients were homozygous. CONCLUSION: This study indicated that SERPINA5 rs6115G>A and rs6112T>C polymorphisms might be a novel susceptibility locus for PTC in Iranian patients. However, our findings do not support an association between FTO rs9939609 polymorphism and PTC risk.