Dairy Science Commons^™

Identification Of Genes Directly Responding To Dlk1 Signaling In Callipyge Sheep, Hui Yu, Jolena N. Waddell, Shihuan Kuang, Ross L. Tellam, Noelle E. Cockett, Christopher A. Bidwell

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Background

In food animal agriculture, there is a need to identify the mechanisms that can improve the efficiency of muscle growth and protein accretion. Callipyge sheep provide excellent machinery since the up-regulation of DLK1 and RTL1 results in extreme postnatal muscle hypertrophy in distinct muscles. The aim of this study is to distinguish the genes that directly respond to DLK1 and RTL1 signaling from the genes that change as the result of muscle specific effects.

Results

The quantitative PCR results indicated that DLK1 expression was significantly increased in hypertrophied muscles but not in non-hypertrophied muscles. However, RTL1 was up-regulated in …

Syringomyelia In An Adult American Paint Horse, Jacqueline P. Kurz, Kate E. Schoenhals, Gordon A. Hullinger, Arnaud J. Van Wettere

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Syringomyelia is a form of myelodysplasia defined by the formation of one or more fluid-filled cavities within the spinal cord that do not communicate with the central canal. The defect may be congenital or acquired. Clinical signs correlate to the segment of spinal cord affected and include pain, paresis, proprioceptive deficits, alterations in sensation, scoliosis, and autonomic dysfunction. This report describes the clinical and pathologic changes in a case of acquired syringomyelia in a 10-year-old American Paint Horse mare. The horse had a six-week history of progressive proprioceptive deficits in all four limbs, bilateral pelvic limb ataxia, and muscle fasciculations …

Sheep Genome Functional Annotation Reveals Proximal Regulatory Elements Contributed To The Evolution Of Modern Breeds, Marina Naval-Sanchez, Quan Nguyen, Sean Mcwilliam, Laercio R. Porto-Neto, Ross Tellam, Tony Vuocolo, Antonio Reverter, Miguel Perez-Enciso, Rudiger Brauning, Shannon Clarke, Alan Mcculloch, Wahid Zamani, Saeid Naderi, Hamid Reza Rezaei, Francois Pompanon, Pierre Taberlet, Kim C. Worley, Richard A. Gibbs, Donna M. Muzny, Shalini N. Jhangiani, Noelle E. Cockett, Hans Daetwyler, James Kijas

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Domestication fundamentally reshaped animal morphology, physiology and behaviour, offering the opportunity to investigate the molecular processes driving evolutionary change. Here we assess sheep domestication and artificial selection by comparing genome sequence from 43 modern breeds (Ovis aries) and their Asian mouflon ancestor (O. orientalis) to identify selection sweeps. Next, we provide a comparative functional annotation of the sheep genome, validated using experimental ChIP-Seq of sheep tissue. Using these annotations, we evaluate the impact of selection and domestication on regulatory sequences and find that sweeps are significantly enriched for protein coding genes, proximal regulatory elements of genes …

Zika Virus-Induced Acute Myelitis And Motor Deficits In Adult Interferon Αβ/Γ Receptor Knockout Mice, Katherine Zukor, Hong Wang, Venkatraman Siddharthan, Justin G. Julander, John D. Morrey

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Zika virus (ZIKV) has received widespread attention because of its effect on the developing fetus. It is becoming apparent, however, that severe neurological sequelae, such as Guillian-Barrë syndrome (GBS), myelitis, encephalitis, and seizures can occur after infection of adults. This study demonstrates that a contemporary strain of ZIKV can widely infect astrocytes and neurons in the brain and spinal cord of adult, interferon α/β receptor knockout mice (AG129 strain) and cause progressive hindlimb paralysis, as well as severe seizure-like activity during the acute phase of disease. The severity of hindlimb motor deficits correlated with increased numbers of ZIKV-infected lumbosacral spinal …

Comparative Response Of The Hepatic Transcriptomes Of Domesticated And Wild Turkey To Aflatoxin B1, Kent M. Reed, Kristelle M. Mendoza, Juan E. Abrahante, Roger A. Coulombe

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

The food-borne mycotoxin aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) poses a significant risk to poultry, which are highly susceptible to its hepatotoxic effects. Domesticated turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) are especially sensitive, whereas wild turkeys (M.g. silvestris) are more resistant. AFB₁ toxicity entails bioactivation by hepatic cytochrome P450s to the electrophilic exo-AFB₁-8,9-epoxide (AFBO). Domesticated turkeys lack functional hepatic GST-mediated detoxification of AFBO, and this is largely responsible for the differences in resistance between turkey types. This study was designed to characterize transcriptional changes induced in turkey livers by AFB₁ , and to contrast the …

Causation Of Acute Flaccid Paralysis By Myelitis And Myositis In Enterovirus-D68 Infected Mice Deficient In Interferon Αβ/Γ Receptor Deficient Mice., John D. Morrey, Hong Wang, Brett L. Hurst, Katherine Zukor, Venkatraman Siddharthan, Arnaud J. Van Wettere, Donal G. Sinex, E. Bart Tarbet

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) caused a large outbreak in the summer and fall of 2014 in the United States. It causes serious respiratory disease, but causation of associated paralysis is controversial, because the virus is not routinely identified in cerebrospinal fluid. To establish clinical correlates with human disease, we evaluated EV-D68 infection in non-lethal paralysis mouse models. Ten-day-old mice lacking interferon responses were injected intraperitoneally with the virus. Paralysis developed in hindlimbs. After six weeks of paralysis, the motor neurons were depleted due to viral infection. Hindlimb muscles were also infected and degenerating. Even at the earliest stage of paralysis, muscles …

Production Of Genetically Engineered Golden Syrian Hamsters By Pronuclear Injection Of The Crispr/Cas9 Complex, Rong Li, Jinxin Miao, Seokhwan Song, Il-Keun Kong, Yaohe Wang, Zhongde Wang

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

The pronuclear (PN) injection technique was first established in mice to introduce foreign genetic materials into the pronuclei of one-cell stage embryos. The introduced genetic material may integrate into the embryonic genome and generate transgenic animals with foreign genetic information following transfer of the injected embryos to foster mothers. Following the success in mice, PN injection has been applied successfully in many other animal species. Recently, PN injection has been successfully employed to introduce reagents with gene-modifying activities, such as the CRISPR/Cas9 system, to achieve site-specific genetic modifications in several laboratory and farm animal species. In addition to mastering the …

Small-Animal Models Of Zika Virus, Justin G. Julander, Venkatraman Siddharthan

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Zika virus (ZIKV) infection can result in serious consequences, including severe congenital manifestations, persistent infection in the testes and neurologic sequelae. After a pandemic emergence, the virus has spread to much of the new world and has been introduced to many countries outside of endemic areas as infected travelers return to their home countries. Rodent models have been important in gaining a better understanding of the wide range of disease etiologies associated with ZIKV infection and for the initial phase of developing countermeasures to prevent or treat viral infections. We discuss herein the advantages and disadvantages of small animal models …

Data On The Effect Of In Utero Exposure To Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons On Genome-Wide Patterns Of Dna Methylation In Lung Tissues, Trevor J. Fish, Abby D. Benninghoff

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Data in this article depict patterns of methylation in lung tissues obtained from the offspring of B6129SF1/J dams and 129S1/SvImJ sires exposed in utero to benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) or dibenzo[def,p]chrysene (DBC) as compared to non-exposed offspring. Genome-wide methylation of lung tumors in adult offspring was determined using methylated DNA immunoprecipitation (MeDIP) with the NimbleGen mouse DNA methylation CpG island array. This data article refers to the research article “DNA methylation in lung tissues of mouse offspring exposed in utero to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons,” in which comprehensive data interpretation and analysis are provided.

Serum Biochemistry Panels In African Buffalo: Defining Reference Intervals And Assessing Variability Across Season, Age And Sex, Johanna Rigas, Claire E. Couch, Morgan A. Movius, Anna E. Jolles, M Elena Gorman, Brianna R. Beechler

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Serum biochemical parameters can be utilized to evaluate the physiological status of an animal, and relate it to the animal’s health. In order to accurately interpret individual animal biochemical results, species-specific reference intervals (RI) must be established. Reference intervals for biochemical parameters differ between species, and physiological differences including reproductive status, nutritional resource availability, disease status, and age affect parameters within the same species. The objectives of this study were to (1) establish RI for biochemical parameters in managed African buffalo (Syncerus caffer), (2) assess the effects of age, sex, pregnancy, and season on serum biochemistry values, and (3) compare …

Extension Education Symposium: Getting The Most Out Of Your Extension Appointment And Still Having A Life, W. Powers, Noelle E. Cockett, Gregory P. Lardy

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Managing the demands of an academic appointment in extension can be a challenging task. Demands from constituent groups, expectations of supervisors, and rigors of promotion and tenure processes can create pressures that young faculty did not expect. Throw in spousal and family duties and you have created a situation that many will find hard to navigate. However, there are ways to cope and, even better news, there are ways to excel in meeting the demands of an academic appointment and enjoying life. Because many new extension faculty members do not have prior experience in extension, best practices in documenting programs …

Consumer Sensory Evaluation And Chemical Composition Of Beef Gluteus Medius And Triceps Brachii Steaks From Cattle Finished On Forage Or Concentrate Diets, A. Chail, Jerrad F. Legako, L. R. Pitcher, Robert E. Ward, Silvana Martini, Jennifer W. Macadam

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of cattle finishing diet and muscle type on meat quality. Consumer sensory response, proximate composition, Warner–Bratzler shear force (WBSF), fatty acid composition, and volatile compounds were assessed from the gluteus medius (GM) and triceps brachii (TB) muscles of cattle (n = 6 per diet) which were grain-finished (USUGrain) on conventional feedlot or 2 forage diets, a perennial legume, birdsfoot trefoil-fin-ished (USUBFT; Lotus corniculatus), and grass-finished (USUGrass; Bromus riparius). Diet had an interacting effect with muscle for all sensory attributes (P ≤ 0.002), except aroma and flavor (P ≥ 0.078). In …

Estimation Of The Trichomonad Concentration In Beef Bull Preputial Samples And Resultant Population Effect Of Pooling On Detection Of Tritrichomonas Foetus Using Qpcr, David J. Wilson, Thomas J. Baldwin, Amanda Wilhelm, Chelsea H. Whitehouse, Jennifer L. Bunnell, Kerry A. Rood, Arnaud Van Wettere

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

The primary objective was assessment of effect of sample pooling on Tritrichomonas foetus detection using qPCR in beef bulls within 5 logs of trichomonad concentration in spiked preputial samples. The secondary objective was to use qPCR Ct values to estimate the percentage of beef bulls in the field population within each log of trichomonad concentration. Solutions containing none, 1,10,100,1000 and 10,000 trichomonads (T)/ml were made and tested by qPCR. Test sensitivities for single positive samples were: 1 T/ml, 20/40 (50%); 10 T/ml, 40/40 (100%); 100 T/ml, 40/40 (100%); 1000 T/ml, 40/40 (100%); 10,000 T/ml, 40/40 (100%). For 5-sample pools (1 …

Modeling Severe Fever With Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus Infection In Golden Syrian Hamsters: Importance Of Stat2 In Preventing Disease And Effective Treatment With Favipiravir, Brian B. Gowen, Jonna B. Westover, Jinxin Miao, Arnaud J. Van Wettere, Johanna D. Rigas, Brady T. Hickerson, Kie-Hoon Jung, Rong Li, Bettina L. Conrad, Skot Nielson, Yousuke Furuta, Zhongde Wang

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging tick-borne disease endemic in parts of Asia. The etiologic agent, SFTS virus (SFTSV; family Bunyaviridae, genus Phlebovirus) has caused significant morbidity and mortality in China, South Korea, and Japan, with key features of disease being intense fever, thrombocytopenia, and leukopenia. Case fatality rates are estimated to be in the 30% range, and no antivirals or vaccines are approved for use for treatment and prevention of SFTS. There is evidence that in human cells, SFTSV sequesters STAT proteins in replication complexes, thereby inhibiting type I interferon signaling. Here, we demonstrate …

Identification Of Snps Located On Bta 6 And Bta 20 Significantly Associated With Bovine Respiratory Disease In Crossbred Cattle, S. L. Miller, S. Mizell, R. Walker, T. Page, Matthew D. Garcia

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

The objective of the present study was to evaluate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in two quantitative trait locus (QTL) regions (BTA 6 and BTA 20) that are associated with bovine respiratory disease (BRD). A population of 323 crossbred steers sired by five purebred sire breeds during 2010-2013 (Angus, Braford, Braunvieh, Charolais, and Simmental) were evaluated for BRD susceptibility during the finishing process at a commercial feedlot. A total of 21 animals representing all sire breeds were affected with BRD at some time during the finishing process over the 4-year period. Although multiple sire breeds were evaluated in the present …

A Novel Benzodiazepine Compound Inhibits Yellow Fever Virus Infection By Specifically Targeting Ns4b Protein, Fang Guo, Shuo Wu, Justin Julander, Julia Ma, Xuexiang Zhang, John Kulp, Andrea Cuconati, Timothy M. Block, Yanming Du, Ju-Tao Guo, Jinhong Chang

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Although a highly effective vaccine is available, the number of yellow fever cases has increased over the past 2 decades, which highlights the pressing need for antiviral therapeutics. In a high-throughput screening campaign, we identified an acetic acid benzodiazepine (BDAA) compound which potently inhibits yellow fever virus (YFV). Interestingly, while treatment of YFV-infected cultures with 2 MBDAA reduced the virion production by greater than 2 logs, the compound was not active against 21 other viruses from 14 different viral families. Selection and genetic analysis of drug-resistant viruses revealed that replacement of the proline at amino acid 219 (P219) of the …

Large Animal Genetic Engineering Summit 2016 Proceedings, Utah State University

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

It is our great pleasure to welcome you to the first Large Animal Genetic Engineering (LAGE) Summit. Our objectives for the summit are twofold: 1) to provide an update on new approaches to the genetic modification of large animal species for development of better animal models for biomedical research, biomanufacturing, and improved agricultural production; and 2) to provide a forum for discussions on funding mechanisms and regulations effecting development of genetically engineered large animals. Our first summit is being held in Bethesda, Maryland, to facilitate participation by representatives from various federal agencies who either fund or regulate the production of …

Complete Genome Sequences Of Three Historically Important, Spatiotemporally Distinct, And Genetically Divergent Strains Of Zika Virus: Mr-766, P6-740, And Prvabc-59, Sangim Yun, Byunghak Song, Jordan C. Frank, Justin G. Julander, Irina A. Polejaeva, Christopher J. Davies, Kenneth L. White, Youngmin Lee

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Here, we report the 10,807-nucleotide-long consensus RNA genome sequences of three spatiotemporally distinct and genetically divergent Zika virus strains, with the functionality of their genomic sequences substantiated by reverse genetics: MR-766 (African lineage, Uganda, 1947), P6-740 (Asian lineage, Malaysia, 1966), and PRVABC-59 (Asian lineage-derived American strain, Puerto Rico, 2015).

Trophoblast Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I Expression Is Associated With Immune-Mediated Rejection Of Bovine Fetuses Produced By Cloning, Heloisa M. Rutigliano, Aaron J. Thomas, Amanda Wilhelm, Benjamin R. Sessions, Brady A. Hicks, Donald H. Schlafer, Kenneth L. White, Christopher J. Davies

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Trophoblast cells from bovine somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) conceptuses express major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) proteins early in gestation, and this may be one cause of the significant first-trimester embryonic mortality observed in these pregnancies. MHC-I homozygous-compatible (n = 9), homozygous-incompatible (n = 8), and heterozygous-incompatible (n = 5) SCNT pregnancies were established. The control group consisted of eight pregnancies produced by artificial insemination. Uterine and placental samples were collected on Day 35 ± 1 of pregnancy, and expression of MHC-I, leukocyte markers, and cytokines were examined by immunohistochemistry. Trophoblast cells from all SCNT pregnancies expressed MHC-I, while …

Prevalence Of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus In Bovine Samples From The Intermountain West Of The U.S.A. - Comparison Between Age, Sex, Breed And Diagnostic Methods, David J. Wilson, T. J. Baldwin, E. J. Kelly, A. Van Wettere, G. Hullinger, J. Bunnell

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Prevalence of Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) (“detected” test results) among all bovine samples tested at the Utah Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory from 2008 - 2013 was calculated, and results were compared by age, sex, or breed of the cattle and BVDV diagnostic test methods. Necropsies were tested for BVDV when lesions suggestive of infection were identified. Adults, juveniles and most calves were tested by antigen (Ag) capture ELISA, while fetuses and some calves were tested by real-time reverse transcriptase PCR. Cattle originated from Utah and surrounding states. Chi-square analyses were used to test for significant differences in BVDV prevalence between …

Histopathologic Evaluation Of Postmortem Autolytic Changes In Bluegill (Lepomis Macrohirus) And Crappie (Pomoxis Anularis) At Varied Time Intervals And Storage Temperatures, Jami George, Arnaud J. Van Wettere, Blayk B. Michaels, Debbi Crain, Gregory A. Lewbart

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Information is lacking on preserving fish carcasses to minimize postmortem autolysis artifacts when a necropsy cannot be performed immediately. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively identify and score histologic postmortem changes in two species of freshwater fish (bluegill - Lepomis macrochirus; crappie - Pomoxis annularis), at varied time intervals and storage temperatures, to assess the histologic quality of collected samples. A pooled sample of 36 mix sex individuals of healthy bluegill and crappie were euthanized, stored either at room temperature, refrigerated at 4 C, or frozen at 20, and then necropsied at 0, 4, 24, and 48 h …

Feeding A Brown Midrib Corn Silage-Based Diet To Growing Beef Steers Improves Growth Performance And Economic Returns, C. S. Saunders, S. Y. Yang, J.-S. Eun, D. M. Feuz, D. R. Zobell

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

A feedlot experiment was performed to determine growth performance, ruminal fermentation characteristics, and economic returns for growing beef steers when fed a brown midrib corn silage-based total mixed ration (BMRT) compared with a conventional corn silage-based total mixed ration (CCST). Twenty-four Angus crossbred steers (initial body weight=258±23.2 kg) in individual pens were used in a completely randomized design (n=12). Intake of dry matter was not different between the treatments. Steers fed the BMRT tended to have greater average daily gain (1.54 vs. 1.42 kg d−1; P=0.09) and gain-to-feed ratio (0.165 vs. 0.146; P=0.07) compared with those fed the CCST. Feeding …

Cytokine Gene Expression In The Maternal-Fetal Interface In Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer Pregnancies In Small Ruminants, Heloisa M. Rutigliano, Amanda Wilhelm, Justin Hall, Bi Shi, Qinggang Meng, Rusty Stott, Tom D. Bunch, Kenneth L. White, Christopher J. Davies, Irina A. Polejaeva

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

The present retrospective study investigates pregnancy rates, incidence of pregnancy losses and large offspring syndrome (LOS), and immune-related gene expression of sheep and goat somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) pregnancies. We hypothesized that significantly higher pregnancy losses observed in sheep SCNT pregnancies compared to goats are due to the increased amounts of T-helper 1 cytokines and pro-inflammatory mediators at the maternal-fetal interface. Sheep and goat SCNT pregnancies were generated using the same procedure. Control pregnancies were established by natural breeding. Although SCNT pregnancy rates at 45 days were similar in both species, pregnancy losses between 45 and 60 days and …

The Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Favipiravir Protects Guinea Pigs From Lethal Lassa Virus Infection Post-Disease Onset, David Safronetz, Kyle Rosenke, Cynthia Martellaro, Heinz Feldmann, Jonna B. Westover, Brian B. Gowen, Atsushi Okumura, Yousuke Furuta, Takashi Komeno, Greg Saturday, Joan Geisbert, Thomas W. Geisbert

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

With up to 500,000 infections annually, Lassa virus (LASV), the cause of Lassa fever, is one of the most prevalent etiological agents of viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) in humans. LASV is endemic in several West African countries with sporadic cases and prolonged outbreaks observed most commonly in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria. Additionally several cases of Lassa fever have been imported into North America, Europe and Asia making LASV a global threat to public health. Despite this, currently no approved therapeutic or vaccine exists to treat or prevent LASV infections. Here, using a passaged strain of LASV that is …

Rift Valley Fever Virus Infection In Golden Syrian Hamsters, Dionna Scharton, Arnaud J. Van Wettere, Kevin W. Bailey, Zachary Vest, Jonna B. Westover, Venkatraman Siddharthan, Brian B. Gowen

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a formidable pathogen that causes severe disease and abortion in a variety of livestock species and a range of disease in humans that includes hemorrhagic fever, fulminant hepatitis, encephalitis and blindness. The natural transmission cycle involves mosquito vectors, but exposure can also occur through contact with infected fluids and tissues. The lack of approved antiviral therapies and vaccines for human use underlies the importance of small animal models for proof-of-concept efficacy studies. Several mouse and rat models of RVFV infection have been well characterized and provide useful systems for the study of certain aspects …

Characterization Of Brd4 During Mammalian Post-Meiotic Sperm Development, Jessica M. Bryant, Greg Donahue, Xiaoshi Wang, Mirella Meyer-Ficca, Lacey J. Luense, Angela H. Weller, Marisa S. Bartolomei, Gerd A. Blobel, Ralph G. Meyer, Benjamin A. Garcia, Shelley L. Berger

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

During spermiogenesis, the post-meiotic phase of mammalian spermatogenesis, transcription is progressively repressed as nuclei of haploid spermatids are compacted through a dramatic chromatin reorganization involving hyper-acetylation and replacement of most histones with protamines. Although BRDT functions in transcription and histone removal in spermatids, it is unknown whether other BET family proteins play a role. Immunofluorescence of spermatogenic cells revealed BRD4 in a ring around the nuclei of spermatids containing hyper-acetylated histones. The ring lies directly adjacent to the acroplaxome, the cytoskeletal base of the acrosome, previously linked to chromatin reorganization. The BRD4 ring does not form in acrosomal mutant mice. …

Pathology In Practice - Fascioliasis In A Dahl Sheep, David J. Wilson, T. J. Baldwin, Kerry A. Rood

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

In early fall 2012, a 48-kg (106-lb) sexually intact male Dahl ram in fair body condition was found dead; the owner observed no clinical signs prior to death. The ram was part of a flock of 50 game animals used for high-fence hunting that was moved among pastures in Idaho, Utah, and Montana. The ram was housed primarily on flood-irrigated pasture in common with approximately 170 captive Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus canadensis). The owner reported that 12 other sheep had died over the past year without observed clinical signs, but none were submitted for postmortem examination. Both sheep and elk …

Dairy Herd - Level Prevalence Of Johne's Disease And Bvd In The Intermountain West Of The U.S.A. And Farm Management Practices And Characteristics For Test-Positive Herds, David J. Wilson, Kerry A. Rood, C. Whitehouse, J. Bunnell, G. M. Goodell, T. M. Byrem

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Herd-level prevalence of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), causative agent of Johne’s disease (JD) and Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD) virus were estimated on dairy farms in Utah. Duplicate milks were collected at 3-4 day intervals on 5 dates from each bulk tank on participating farms. Samples were tested at separate laboratories for BVD (real-time, RT-PCR) and for JD/MAP (ELISA and qPCR). 151/209 (72%) eligible dairy farms participated. Farms detected positive were: 58 JD (38%) and 14 BVD (9%); 5 farms had both diseases. Follow up visited farms’ (n=22) means, medians: 778,420 milking cows; 20,052 lbs, 20,311 lbs 305d milk; 175,545/ml, …

Efficient Gene Targeting In Golden Syrian Hamsters By The Crispr/Cas9 System, Zhiqiang Fan, Wei Li, Sang R. Lee, Qinggang Meng, Tom D. Bunch, Kenneth L. White, Zhongde Wang, Il-Keun Kong

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

The golden Syrian hamster is the model of choice or the only rodent model for studying many human diseases. However, the lack of gene targeting tools in hamsters severely limits their use in biomedical research. Here, we report the first successful application of the CRISPR/Cas9 system to efficiently conduct gene targeting in hamsters. We designed five synthetic single-guide RNAs (sgRNAs)—three for targeting the coding sequences for different functional domains of the hamster STAT2 protein, one for KCNQ1, and one for PPP1R12C—and demonstrated that the CRISPR/Cas9 system is highly efficient in introducing site-specific mutations in hamster somatic cells. We …

Halogeton (H. Glomeratus) Poisoning In Cattle: Case Report, Kerry A. Rood, Kip E. Panter, Dale R. Gardner, Bryan L. Stegelmeier, Jeffery O. Hall

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Historically, the most significant losses from halogeton poisoning have been reported in sheep, with multiple catastrophic deaths documented. While recorded death losses in cattle from halogeton poisoning are less common than in sheep, recent cases, including 2 reported here, and anecdotal reports from other ranchers suggest that the impact of halogeton losses in cattle herds in the western United States is much more widespread than originally thought. Halogeton may accumulate up to 30% oxalates; a small amount of the plant (300 g) is enough to cause death in sheep. Oxalates precipitate calcium from the blood, resulting in hypocalcemia, formation of …