Gaur Research Articles

Distribution, Abundance and Occupancy of Gaur (Bos gaurus Smith) in the Royal Manas National Park, Bhutan

Distribution, Abundance and Occupancy of Gaur (Bos gaurus Smith) in the Royal Manas National Park, Bhutan

Deletion / insertion polymorphisms of the prion protein gene (PRNP) in gayal (Bos frontalis)

Resistance to fatal disease bovine spongiformencephalopathy (BSE), due to misfolded prion protein in cattle, is associated with a 23-bp indel polymorphism in the putative promoter and a 12-bp indel in intron 1 of the PRNP gene. Gayal (Bos frontalis) is an important semiwild bovid species and of great conservation concern, but till today these indel polymorphisms have not been evaluated in gayals. Therefore, we collected 225 samples of gayals and evaluated the genetic indel polymorphism in the two regions of this PRNP gene. The results revealed high allelic frequencies of insertions at these indel sites: 0.909 and 0.667 for, respectively, the 23 bp and 12 bp indels, both also with significant genotype frequencies (χ2: 9.81; 23 bp and χ2: 43.56; 12 bp). At the same time, the haplotype data showed indel polymorphisms with extremely low deletion (0.01) in both regions of the PRNP gene. We compared these data with those reported for healthy and BSE-affected cattle (Bos taurus) breeds from two European countries, Germany and Switzerland, and significant difference (P <0.001) was observed between BSE-affected as well as the healthy cattle. Further, our data were also extensively compared with previous reports on BSE and highly significant (P<0.001) outcomes were observed. This result suggested negligible genetic susceptibility to BSE in gayals. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first comprehensive deciphering information about the PRNP indel polymorphisms of 23 bp and 12 bp in gayals, a semiwild species of China.

Sequence variation of captive Malayan Gaur (Bos gaurus hubbacki) based on mitochondrial D-loop region DNA sequences

Md-Zain BM, Abdul-Aziz A, Aifat NR, Mohd-Yusof NS, Norsyamimi R, Rovie-Ryan JJ, Karuppannan KV, Zulkifli NA, Yaakop S. 2018. Sequence variation of captive Malayan Gaur (Bos gaurus hubbacki) based on mitochondrial D-loop region DNA sequences. Biodiversitas 19: 1601-1606. Malayan gaur (Bos gaurus hubbacki) can only be found in Peninsular Malaysia and southern Thailand. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed Malayan gaur in the Red List as vulnerable. The main objective of this study was to investigate sequence variation in the mitochondrial D-loop region of B. g. hubbacki from two captive centers. We collected 30 DNA samples of Malayan gaur from Jenderak Selatan Wildlife Conservation Center in Pahang and the Sungkai Wildlife Reserve in Perak. Polymerase chain reactions were performed to amplify all the samples. DNA sequences were analyzed using Neighbor-Joining (NJ) and Maximum Parsimony (MP) methods. Based on the 652 base pairs obtained, we found only seven variable characters with a value of 1% and a genetic distance between the two captive centers of 0.001. Haplotype analyses using DnaSP software detected only four haplotypes between these two captive centers. Both NJ and MP trees portrayed all Malayan gaur individuals in Jenderak Selatan and Sungkai captive centers as belonging to the same clade. Genetic variation of Malayan gaur in these centers is considered low due to individuals possibly sharing the same common parent. This sequence variation information is of paramount importance for the proper breeding and conservation management program of Malayan gaur in the future.

Bos frontalis and Bos gaurus (Artiodactyla: Bovidae)

Bos frontalis Lambert, 1804 and Bos gaurus Hamilton-Smith, 1827 are the domestic and wild forms, respectively, of the bovid commonly called the gaur. It is the world’s largest cattle species. Bos gaurus is endemic to south and southeastern Asia, and today, the majority of its population occurs in India. It is sexually dimorphic, with adult males having a distinctive dorsal ridge and often a dewlap. Although B. gaurus consumes numerous browse species, it is primarily a grazer. Except for older males, all other B. gaurus are nearly always found in herds. It is classified as a Vulnerable species, and in 2011–2012, the first reintroductions of B. gaurus occurred in central India.

Bos Frontalis (Mithun): A Flagship Semi-Domesticated Mammal and Its Potential For ‘Mithun Husbandry’ Development in Arunachal Pradesh, India

Bos Frontalis (Mithun): A Flagship Semi-Domesticated Mammal and Its Potential For ‘Mithun Husbandry’ Development in Arunachal Pradesh, India

Administration of slow release exogenous melatonin modulates oxidative stress profiles and in vitro fertilizing ability of the cryopreserved mithun (Bos frontalis) spermatozoa

Mithun (Bos frontalis) is a unique domestic free range bovine species of North Eastern hilly regions of India. The present study was designed to assess the seasonal effect of slow release exogenous melatonin (MT) implant on semen quality parameters (SQP) and in vitro zona binding ability (IVZ) of spermatozoa. The experimental animals were divided into Gr I: Control (n = 5) and Gr II: Treatment (n = 5; melatonin implant @ 18mg/50 kg bwt). A total of 20 semen samples/group in winter, spring, autumn and summer seasons (n = 160), twice per week were collected. Following cryopreservation, samples were evaluated for motility parameters (forward progressive, mobility & velocity by computer assisted sperm analyser (CASA), viability, acrosome integrity, plasma membrane and nuclear abnormality, functional status of mitochondria, enzymatic, antioxidant and oxidative profiles, and IVZ. The study revealed significant (p < 0.05) improvement in total motility, viability, acrosome-, plasma membrane-, and nuclear-integrity, and antioxidant profiles; with highest values in spring and lowest in summer season in the fresh semen in Gr II than the Control. A significant (p < 0.05) improvement in motility parameters, membrane potential of mitochondria, antioxidant profiles and reduction in sperm and nuclear abnormalities, leakage of intracellular enzymes and oxidative stress and IVZ index & binding percentage in post-thaw semen samples in melatonin supplemented than in un-supplemented control group was observed. It can be concluded from the study that slow-release melatonin supplementation can be effectively utilized to improve the antioxidant profiles and reduction of oxidative stress, with cascading beneficial effects on semen quality parameters and fertility status of the mithun bull.

High-density Genotyping reveals Genomic Characterization, Population Structure and Genetic Diversity of Indian Mithun (Bos frontalis)

The current study aimed at genomic characterization and improved understanding of genetic diversity of two Indian mithun populations (both farm, 48 animals and field, 24 animals) using genome wide genotype data generated with Illumina BovineHD BeadChip. Eight additional populations of taurine cattle (Holstein and NDama), indicine cattle (Gir) and other evolutionarily closely related species (Bali cattle, Yak, Bison, Gaur and wild buffalo) were also included in this analysis (N = 137) for comparative purposes. Our results show that the genetic background of mithun populations was uniform with few possible signs of indicine admixture. In general, observed and expected heterozygosities were quite similar in these two populations. We also observed increased frequencies of small-sized runs of homozygosity (ROH) in the farm population compared to field mithuns. On the other hand, longer ROH were more frequent in field mithuns, which suggests recent founder effects and subsequent genetic drift due to close breeding in farmer herds. This represents the first study providing genetic evidence about the population structure and genomic diversity of Indian mithun. The information generated will be utilized for devising suitable breeding and conservation programme for mithun, an endangered bovine species in India.

Serum biochemical profile of Mizoram strain female Mithun (Bos frontalis) at different age and season

The present investigation aimed at generating baseline biochemical profile of Mizoram strain female mithun (Bos frontalis) at the age groups of calves (6 months to 1 year), heifer (1 to 3 years) and adult (above 3 years) during monsoon, winter and spring of a year. Glucose level was significantly (p ≤ 0.01) highest in heifers during monsoon season and lowest in adults in all the seasons. Protein level was significantly (p ≤ 0.01) highest during monsoon season in heifers and lowest in calves. Albumin level was significantly (p ≤ 0.01) highest in heifers and lowest in calves. Globulin and A: G ratio showed non-significant variation with age. Calves (23.05 ± 4.20) and heifer (23.13 ± 4.88) have significantly (p ≤ 0.01) higher urea concentration during winter and in adult (38.66 ± 1.35) during spring season. Creatinine level was highest in calves during monsoon which decreased significantly (p ≤ 0.01) with age in this season. Direct bilirubin level significantly (p ≤ 0.01) decreased as age increases and the highest concentration was observed during spring season. Total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and triglyceride level increased significantly (p ≤ 0.01) with age in all seasons with the highest values observed during winter season.

Designing Mithun Specific Probes Towards Development of Microarray for Mithun (Bos frontalis)

cDNA microarrays are powerful tools to analyze the expression pattern of thousands of genes simultaneously in response to treatments, during tissue differentiation or related to differences in traits. To get accurate results, the probes used in the microarray are to be specific to the species for which the array is being conducted. Non-availability of suitable microarray specific to mithun (Bos frontalis), a rare ruminant of Southeast Asia, limits its use to study the expression patterns of genes globally. Therefore, the authors designed the probes and developed a mithun-specific microarray for the first time. Transcripts obtained from bovine genome array in mithun tissues and from BLAST search were used to design probes and subsequent development of mithun-specific microarray. A total of 3,35,576 numbers of transcripts obtained from the next generation sequencing (through microarray using bovine genome array chips) of mithun tissues including several hundreds of unknown genes and others obtained for BLAST search (11,865) were used for designing the probes towards development of mithun-specific microarrays. A total of 3,47,441 probes were designed and length of each probe was 60 bp. The developed array has total features of 4,20,288, of which 4,16,505 features are readily available in the developed array. Besides, there are 3783 numbers of controls in the array to obtain high performance. In conclusion, the authors developed mithun-specific microarray using probes that are specific to this species for the first time. This microarray for mithun contains fully defined set of genes suitable for detailed analysis of expression of many genes involved in this species. The developed microarray will be of great use to analyze the molecular mechanisms controlling cell proliferation, differentiation in response to different treatments or variation in economic traits such as marbling and disease resistance in mithun. Keywords: Mithun, microarray, cDNA, transcripts, expression, genes Cite this Article Mondal M, Karunakaran M, Baruah KK. Designing mithun specific probes towards development of microarray for mithun (Bos frontalis). Research & Reviews: Journal of Veterinary Science and Technology. 2015; 4(3): 1–7p.

Factors Affecting Population Composition and Social Organization of Wild Ungulates in the Chitwan National Park, Nepal

We investigated the factors affecting group sizes and population composition of chital (Axis axis), sambar (Rusa unicolor), hog deer (Axis porcinus), northern red muntjac (Muntiacus vaginalis), wild boar (Sus scrofa) and gaur (Bos gaurus) in the Chitwan National Park in southern Nepal. The study revealed that mean group sizes were the largest for chital (winter: 13.76 and summer: 11.01), followed by wild boar (winter: 6.89 and summer: 8.51), hog deer (winter: 5.52 and summer: 6.66), gaur (winter: 4.36 and summer: 5.81), sambar (winter: 1.86 and summer: 2.45) and muntjac (winter: 1.44 and summer: 1.46). The age and sex ratio of ungulates were biased towards females in all species. This study found the highest proportion of young individuals in wild boar and the lowest in gaur. Habitat structure, presence of predators and human disturbances strongly affected group size of ungulates in this area. Larger groups of ungulates were found in less disturbed open areas with high predatory pressure, while smaller groups and solitary individuals were found in highly disturbed forest areas. We recommend that management of human disturbances inside the park and regular monitoring of the changes in the demography of ungulate populations will improve long-term conservation strategies in this park. Journal of Institute of Science and TechnologyVolume 22, Issue 2, January 2018, Page: 156-167

Isolation and characterization of the major histocompatibility complex DQA1 and DQA2 genes in gayal (Bos frontalis)

The species origin of Yunnan gayal has been controversial since many years. However, few recent genetic studies have suggested that it has perhaps originated from the hybridization between male Bos frontalis and female B. taurus or B. indicus. Being an important semi-wild bovid species, this has also been listed under the red list of International Union of Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. However, there is limited information available about the immunogenicity of this precarious species of Bos. Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) plays a pivotal role in immune response to infectious diseases in vertebrates. In the present study, we have investigated the structural and functional characteristics and possible duplication of the MHC-DQA genes in gayal (B. frontalis). Two full-length cDNA clones of the MHC-DQA genes were amplified and designated as Bofr-DQA1 (DQA*0101) and Bofr-DQA2 (DQA*2001) with GenBank accession numbers KT318732 and KT318733, respectively. A comparison between Bofr-DQA1, Bofr-DQA2 and to other MHC-DQA molecules from different animal species showed that nucleotide and encoded amino acid sequences of these two identifiedMHC-DQA genes have more similarity to alleles of specific DQA1 and DQA2 molecules from other Ruminantia species than to each other. The phylogenic investigation also demonstrated a large genetic distance between these two genes than to homologous from the other species. The large genetic distance between Bofr-DQA1 and Bofr-DQA2, and the presence of different bovine DQA putative motifs clarify that these sequences are nonallelic type. These results could suggest thatduplication of the DQA genes has also occurred in gayal. The findings of the present study have strengthened our understanding to MHC diversity in rare ruminants and mutation of immunological functions, selective and evolutionary forces that affect MHC variation within and between species.

Food and Feeding Habits of Gaur (Bos gaurus) in Highlands of Central India: A Case Study at Pench Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh (India).

Indian gaur (Bos gaurus) is one of nine species of wild oxen found in the world. They are largely confined to evergreen, semi-evergreen, and moist deciduous forests, but also occur in dry deciduous forest areas at the periphery of their range. According to the IUCN Red List ( 2017 ), the estimated population of gaur in India is between 15,000 and 35,000 individuals, and probably due to this, despite the gaur's vast range of distribution, they are listed as a vulnerable species by IUCN and listed as schedule-I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act ( 1972 ) as well as in appendix-I in CITES ( 2003 ). Gaur is not a well studied species, and baseline data are thus needed to support conservation efforts. We studied the feeding habits of gaur in Pench Tiger Reserve. Pench Tiger Reserve is the 19th tiger reserve in India, situated in the Seoni and Chhindwara districts of MP, India (21°41'35″N 79°14'54″E). Diet composition of gaur was studied by micro-histological examination of 32 dung piles collected from different sampling plots in different seasons. For this purpose, 169 sampling plots were established at an interval of 200 m. To locate gaur faecal matter, a circular plot of 10 m radius was laid within each sampling plot. Eighty-eight permanent reference slides of available plants were prepared and used for plant fragment identification from the dung piles. A total of 29 plant species were identified from dung piles of gaur. On average, 44.51% of grass-fragments were detected in the diet of gaur, suggesting that gaurs are primarily grazers in the Pench Tiger Reserve.

Effect of foot and mouth disease vaccination on seminal antioxidant profiles of mithun (Bos frontalis)

Objective: To assess the deleterious effects of foot and mouth disease vaccination on antioxidant profiles as well as oxidative stress in the semen of breeding mithun bulls. Methods: A total of 160 semen samples were collected from 8 adult healthy mithun bulls with good body condition score (5-6), which were maintained at semen collection centre, ICAR-National Research Centre on Mithun, Medziphema, Nagaland, India, twice a week, 4 weeks before vaccination (pre-vaccination stage) and 12 weeks after vaccination (post-vaccination stage) to understand and know the influence of vaccine stress on seminal antioxidant as well as oxidative stress profiles in mithun. Vaccine was injected at the end of week 4 and semen samples were collected & analysed up to week 16 of the investigation period. Results: Data analysis showed that foot and mouth disease vaccination has significantly (P

Morphological and molecular characterization of Gastrothylax crumenifer (Platyhelminthes: Gastrothylacidae) infecting rumen of Capra hircus in Chandigarh (India)

Morphological and molecular characterization of the amphistomid trematode, Gastrothylax crumenifer (Creplin, 1847) Poirier 1883 collected from Capra hircus goat in Chandigarh was carried out using Gower's carmine stain and by investigations on the nucleotide sequences of 28S and internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2). A total of 10 guts of C. hircus were examined for infection with trematodes. All the worms collected were morphologically identified as G. crumenifer by comparing the arrangement of median sagittal sections of adult amphistomes. The BLAST analysis of 28S gene of the study specimen G. crumenifer (KY786331) included 100 hits and showed maximum homogeneity of 99% with G. crumenifer as only 7 gaps in the case of G. crumenifer (JX518971, JX518960, JX518959, JX518970); 8 gaps in the case of G. crumenifer (JX518969) and 18 gaps in case of G. crumenifer (KJ559529). Phylogenetic tree revealed close relatedness of the present specimens with G. crumenifer infecting Bos indicus and Bos frontalis from India with 0.01 and 0.0 (nil) evolutionary divergence, respectively. The BLAST analysis of ITS2 gene of the study species G. crumenifer (KY786332) included 100 hits and showed maximum homogeneity of 97% to 99% with G. crumenifer as only 1 gap in the case of G. crumenifer (HM159382) and 5 gaps in the case of G. crumenifer (KU530204) were found between them. Phylogenetic tree revealed close relatedness of the present specimens of Gastrothylax with G. crumenifer infecting Bos indicus and Capra hircus from India with 0.01 and 0.0 (nil) evolutionary divergence, respectively. The molecular results revealed ITS2 as the better gene marker as it formed clear monophyly of the present species with G. crumenifer but in the case of 28S, the tree was somewhat more towards the polyphyly of Gastrothylacidae. Thus on the basis of morphological and molecular data based on 28S and ITS2, the study species was identified as G. crumenifer

Distribution and habitat suitability assessment of the gaur Bos gaurus in China

Distribution and habitat suitability assessment of the gaur Bos gaurus in China

An Insight Into the Diet and Prey Preference of Tigers in Bardia National Park, Nepal

We studied the diet and prey preferences of tigers ( Panthera tigris tigris Linnaeus, 1758) in Bardia National Park, Nepal using DNA-based techniques from their scat samples. Remains of prey species in scats were identified through microscopic hair morphology analysis. Of 101 scats, DNA was extracted from 84 samples and 75 were assigned to tigers (34 males and 41 females). We found seven and six prey species in the diet of male tiger and female tiger, respectively. The diet of male and female tigers did not differ significantly, with chital ( Axis axis Erxleben, 1777) as the most abundant prey species. The Jacobs index suggested a preference of male tigers for sambar deer ( Cervus unicolor Kerr, 1792) and wild pig ( Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758) and of the female tigers for wild pig and chital. Bardia National Park has the highest density of tiger prey species (92.6 animals/km2) among the national parks of Nepal. Still, the density of larger prey species is relatively low. Increasing the density of larger prey like sambar and the reintroduction of larger prey species like gaur ( Bos gaurus Smith, 1827) can further enhance the tiger population in the park. Our study demonstrates that tigers mostly preyed on wild species, indicating a low level of tiger–livestock interaction. Hence, this park seems to be a prospective area for tiger conservation in a long run.

Gene cloning and expression of fungal lignocellulolytic enzymes from the rumen of gayal (Bos frontalis).

A total of 6,219 positive clones were obtained by constructing a BAC library of uncultured ruminal fungi of gayal, and two clones (xynF1 and eglF2) with lignocellulolytic enzyme activity were selected. The sequencing results showed that xynF1 and eglF2 had 903-bp, and 1,995-bp, open reading frames likely to encode β-xylanase (XynF1) and β-glucosidase (EglF2), respectively. The amino acid sequence of XynF1 had 99% coverage and 95% homology to the endo-β-1,4-xylanase encoded by the cellulase gene of Orpinomyces sp. LT-3 (GenBank accession No. AEO51791.1). The amino acid sequence of EglF2 had 99% coverage and 93% homology to the β-glucosidase encoded by the cellulase gene of Piromyces sp. E2 (GenBank accession No. CAC34952.1). Analysis using the SMART software showed that XynF1 contains a glycoside hydrolase family 11 functional module and a carbohydrate-binding module, while EglF2 contains a glycoside hydrolase family 1 functional module. XynF1 showed the highest relative enzymatic activity, up to 95%, at 45°C and pH 4.2, while EglF2 showed the highest relative enzymatic activity, up to 95%, at 55°C and pH 6.2. In this study, we achieved efficient expression of the xynF1 and eglF2 genes in Pichia pastoris, which laid a foundation for the practical application of the lignocellulolytic enzymes.

Complete mitochondrial genome of bovine species Gayal (Bos frontalis)

Gayal (Bos frontalis) is a rare semi-wild species mainly living in hill-forests. The conservation status of this species has not yet been assessed by the IUCN, but previous studies have reported it was an endangered species, due to a rapid population decline. In this study, the complete mitogenome of B. frontalis was 16,340 bp in length, contains 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes (12S rRNA and 16SrRNA), 22 tRNA genes, a non-coding control region (D-loop), and the origin of L-strand replication. Among the tRNA genes, the tRNA-Ser and tRNA-Leu both have a replication. The base content of the mitogenome is: A (33.5%), C (26%), G (13.4%), T (27.1%), and the GC content is 39.4%. The molecular phylogenetic analysis showed that the B. frontalis, Bos indicus, Bos taurus, and Bos primigenius clustered to one branch, suggested that these species have a close genetic relationship. Our results are expected to offer an essential genetic information for the conservation of this valuable creature and future phylogenetic analysis.

Diet of Bengal Tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) in Chitwan National Park, Nepal

AbstractWe studied the diet of the Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) in Chitwan National Park, Nepal, by identifying 109 prey items from 85 tiger scats. Tigers in this region fed upon eight different mammal species. Chital (Axis axis) was the major prey with a frequency of 45% of the Tigers’ diet. The occurrence of other prey species included sambar (Cervus unicolor, 23%), wild pig (Sus scrofa, 15%), hog deer (Axis porcinus, 9%), barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak, 4%), and gaur (Bos gaurus, 2%). Tigers also hunted livestock, but this prey comprised a small component of the relative biomass (buffalo 5% and cow 2%). Our study suggests that the tiger depends mostly upon wild prey for its subsistence in the Chitwan National Park, but will also sporadically hunt livestock.

Draft genome of the gayal, Bos frontalis

Gayal (Bos frontalis), also known as mithan or mithun, is a large endangered semi-domesticated bovine that has a limited geographical distribution in the hill-forests of China, Northeast India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Bhutan. Many questions about the gayal such as its origin, population history, and genetic basis of local adaptation remain largely unresolved. De novo sequencing and assembly of the whole gayal genome provides an opportunity to address these issues. We report a high-depth sequencing, de novo assembly, and annotation of a female Chinese gayal genome. Based on the Illumina genomic sequencing platform, we have generated 350.38 Gb of raw data from 16 different insert-size libraries. A total of 276.86 Gb of clean data is retained after quality control. The assembled genome is about 2.85 Gb with scaffold and contig N50 sizes of 2.74 Mb and 14.41 kb, respectively. Repetitive elements account for 48.13% of the genome. Gene annotation has yielded 26 667 protein-coding genes, of which 97.18% have been functionally annotated. BUSCO assessment shows that our assembly captures 93% (3183 of 4104) of the core eukaryotic genes and 83.1% of vertebrate universal single-copy orthologs. We provide the first comprehensive de novo genome of the gayal. This genetic resource is integral for investigating the origin of the gayal and performing comparative genomic studies to improve understanding of the speciation and divergence of bovine species. The assembled genome could be used as reference in future population genetic studies of gayal.