gene

Centre for Advanced Studies in Animal Genetics and Breeding Selected Publications

Indian Journal of Animal Sciences 81 (1): 52–55, January 2011
Individual identification and paternity determination in Asian elephant by using microsatellite markers
T V ARAVINDAKSHAN1, R S SIMI2 and A M BINOY3
Kerala Agricultural University, Mannuthy, Thrissur, Kerala 680 651 India

ABSTRACT
The objective of this study was to set up a panel of highly polymorphic microsatellite markers suitable for individual identification and parentage verification in Asian elephant. A random sample of elephants was typed for 18 microsatellite loci known to be polymorphic either in African or in Asian elephant. The number of alleles varied from 3 to 18 with an average of 9.9 alleles per locus. The expected heterozygosity (He) values of the markers ranged from 0.568 to 0.927 and PIC values from 0.499 to 0.911. The locus specific mean paternity exclusion (PE) probabilities ranged from 0.299 to 0.852 with an average of 0.632. The cumulative mean exclusion probabilities for the 2 loci with the highest exclusion probabilities was 97.5, for the best 3 was 99.5, and for the best 5 exceeded 99.8. The cumulative individualization potential (PID) for the best 5 loci was 3.18 × 10–8, which was equivalent to a probability of 3.15 × 10–7 for selecting 2 identical genotypes in a reference population.
Key words: Asian elephant, Individual identification, Microsatellite markers, Paternity determination.
Present address: 1Professor, (e mail: tvaraaction@gmail.com); 2, 3Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advanced Studies in Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences.

Indian Journal of Animal Sciences 80 (6): 541-546
Molecular cloning and characterization of alpha lactalbumin
gene of Vechur cattle
M Rajeev and T V Aravindakshan
Kerala Agricultural University, Mannuthy, Thrissur, Kerala 680 651 India

ABSTRACT
A 1756 bp fragment of the alpha-lactalbumin (α-LA) gene of Vechur cattle covering the entire transcriptional unit was PCR amplified from genomic DNA and was sequenced by the dideoxynucleotide method after cloning in a T-vector. The Vechur α-LA gene has an open reading frame of 426 nucleotides encoding a signal peptide of 19 amino acid residues and a mature protein of 123 amino acid residues with NH2 terminal glutamic acid and COOH- terminal leucine. Sequence analysis showed that 122 amino acid residues are identical with that of Bos taurus and 73 per cent identity was observed with human α-LA protein. The sequence was found to be having 99 per cent homology with that of Bos taurus, 98 per cent with that of Yak and 95 per cent with that of sheep α-LA gene. The exon-intron boundaries are conserved in Vechur and Bos Taurus as well as in human. This strict homology in the sites of insertion of introns suggests that the exon-intron organization of these genes was established before the divergence of these species. The positions of the exon-intron boundaries are also conserved as evidenced from similar sizes of the exons. The present study did not reveal any higher degree of structural or functional similarity between Vechur and human α-LA proteins as compared to that of Bos taurus. The superiority of human milk and its high suitability to infants could be due to the higher content of α-LA and might not be attributed to any structural variations of the protein.

International Journal of Animal Science. 14(2): 285-289 (1999)
INFLUENCE OF PARITY, TYPE OF BIRTH AND SEASON ON THE BIRTH WEIGHT OF MALABARI KIDS
K.C RAGHAVAN, K. ANILKUMAR AND P. NANDAKUMAR

ABSTRACT
In an attempt to analyse the effect of parity, type of birth, daylength and season of date of successful service and date of parturition on average birth weight and litter weight in 188 kiddings of purebred Malabari goats maintained in its hometract, it was evident that the effect of parity was significant on litter weight at birth not on average birth weight. Effect of type of birth on the litter weight at birth and birth weight of kids was highly significant. The highest litter weight at birth was seen in triplets with mean of 3.8200.277 kg, by the lowest birth weight was also seen triplets with a mean of 1.363±0.194 kg. The highest average birth weight was seen in singlets (1.820±0.078 kg), while the highest litter weight at birth was seen in triplets. This factor usually is not considered in charecterising the average birth weight of Malabari kids, wherein litter weight at birth should also be given due consideration.

Indian Journal of Dairy Science. 62(2) :159-160 (2009)
MILK FAT PERCENTAGE IN DIFFERENT STAGES OF LACTATION OF CROSSBRED CATTLE OF KERALA
M. STEPHEN, K.A. PETER AND K. V.REGHUNANDAN.

ABSTRACT
Milk fat percentage of crossbred cows reared by farmers in six different location of Thrissur, Kerala were estimated by electronic milk tester. Average fat percentage in the morning and evening milk were, respectively, 3.54±0.01 and 4.43±0.02 during second month, 3.83±0.02 and 4.65±0.02 during fifth month and 3.93±0.02 and 4.76±0.02 during eighth month of lactation. Corresponding number of observation in the given order were respectively 1977, 1970, 1883, 1856, 1797 and 1704. Analysis of variance showed that location wise, stage wise and time wise differences in fat percentage were highly significant (p<0.01). It was observed that 53%, 32% and 27% of cows are having fat percentage less than 3.5 in the morning milk of second, fifth, eighth month of lactation respectively

Animal Genetics. 28: 55-58 (1997)
DWARFISM IN DEXTER CATTLE IS NOT CAUSED BY THE MUTATIONS IN FGFR3 RESPONSIBLE FOR ACHONDROPLASIA IN HUMANS.
USHA A.P., LESTER D.H WILLIAMS J.L.

ABSTRACT
Dexter cattle carry a genetic defect causing a dwarf phenotype in the heterozygotes (Dx +/-), while homozygotes (Dx +/+) are stillborn with extreme shortening of limbs ans gross craniofascial defects and are described as bulldog calves. The heterozygous phenotypes has been likened to achondroplastic dwarfism in humans (ACH), which has recently been shown to be the result of mutations in the transmembrane region of the fibroblastic growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) gene. We have sequenced the transmembrane region of the bovine FGFR3 from normal Dexter cattle Dexter cattle (Dx +/-) and the bull dog calves (Dx +/+). The sequence from both is identical and therefore excludes mutations in the transmembrane region of FGFR3 as the cause of dexter dwarfism.

Indian Journal of Animal Research 309-310. (2010)
GLUTATHIONE POLYMORPHISM IN MALABARI GOATS
K. A. Bindu , K. C. Raghavan and Dr. K.V. Raghunandanan

ABSTRACT
Glutathione polymorphism study was conducted in three different populations of Malabari goat, the native goat breed of Kerala. The animals were classified as low and high glutathione types based on the values obtained for blood glutathione concentration. In the pooled population, majority of the animals belonged to low GSH type (53.68 per cent).
Key words: Glutathione, polymorphism

Indian Vet. J., December 2007; 84:1247-1250
RFLP AT THE GROWTH HORMONE GENE LOCUS IN VECHUR AND KASARGODE CATTLE OF KERALA
T V Aravindakshan, Smitha P. James and KV Raghunandanan
Centre for Advanced Studies in Animal Genetics and Breeding, Kerala Agricultural University, Mannuthy, Thrissur, Kerala 680 651 India

ABSTRACT
Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) is an important tool for the identification of genetic variation, providing valuable markers for use in animal genetics (Theilmann et al., 1989). A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based RFLP procedure has been described to detect the polymorphic MspI site in third intron of bovine GH gene (Hoj et al., 1993). This RFLP has been shown to be present in several breeds of cattle (Mitra et al., 1995; Aravindakshan et al., 1997). This study reports the gene and genotype frequencies of GH/MspI polymorphism in Vechur and Kasargode cattle of Kerala. An attempt was also made to correlate the genotypes with birth weight and body measurements in Vechur using the limited data available.