Egyptian Sheep Research Articles

Characterization of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Shepherds and Apparently Healthy Goats and Sheep in Egypt

Characterization of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Shepherds and Apparently Healthy Goats and Sheep in Egypt

Molecular detection and characterization of Anaplasma ovis, Theileria ovis, and Theileria lestoquardi in sheep and goats in Luxor, Egypt

BackgroundTick-borne diseases cause economically significant losses to animal production globally, and anaplasmosis and theileriosis are associated with the greatest losses. However, the spread of the relevant pathogens in flocks of domesticated animals in southern Egypt is little understood. Accordingly, in this study, we aimed to determine the prevalences of Anaplasma ovis, Theileria ovis, and Theileria lestoquardi in southern Egyptian sheep and goats through blood tests, and to make a molecular characterization of the A. ovis detected in sheep targeting a specific gene.ResultsWe collected blood samples collected from 300 sheep and goats (n=150 /species) in Luxor Province in southern Egypt, and analyzed them for the presence of A. ovis, T. ovis and T. lestoquardi with screening by conventional and nested PCR targeting the msp4 and msp5, 18S rRNA, and merozoite surface protein genes. For A. ovis 140/300 samples (46.66%) were positive overall, with 90/150 (60%) and 50/150 (33.33%) positive samples in sheep and goats, respectively. Two major surface protein genes of A. ovis, msp4 and msp5, were sequenced using DNA extracted from sheep and goat blood samples, for phylogenetic analysis and genotyping. The msp4 gene sequence revealed no significant genetic diversity, to contrast to data on A. ovis strains from other countries. For T. lestoquardi, 8/150 (5.33%) samples were positive in sheep, but no samples were positive in goats (0%). For T. ovis, 32/150 (21.33%) samples were positive in sheep, but no samples were positive in goats (0%). Sequencing targeting the merozoite surface protein gene for T. lestoquardi and the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene for T. ovis revealed no significant genetic diversity in the study, another contrast to data on A. ovis strains from other countries.ConclusionThis study provides valuable data on phylogenetic and molecular classifications of A. ovis, T. ovis and T. lestoquardi found in southern Egyptian sheep and goats. It also represents the first report on detection and molecular characterization of T. lestoquardi in southern Egyptian sheep based on the specific merozoite surface protein gene, thus providing valuable data for molecular characterization of this pathogen in southern Egypt.

Correlation analysis between polymorphism of leptin and IGFI genes and body measurements in Barki and Farafra sheep

BackgroundGrowth performance, which can be evaluated using various body measurements, is crucial for providing red meat for human consumption. This study aims to improve the growth performance of sheep by identifying the different genotypes of leptin and IGFI genes associated with higher body measurements.MethodsIn this study, we collected blood samples from Barki (n = 30) and Farafra (n = 30) sheep, and measured their body height, width, length, and weight, and tail width and length to assess their growth performance. We used single strand conformation polymorphism polymerase chain reaction (SSCP-PCR) and sequencing analysis to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and different genotypes of the leptin and insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGFI) genes associated with sheep body measurements.ResultsThe leptin gene (209 bp) and IGFR gene (345 bp) were found to have three (TT, TG, and GG) and (TT, TC, and CC) genotypes, respectively, by SSCP-PCR. Sequence analysis revealed a SNP in the leptin gene (200G > T) with two alleles (G allele: OR058867 and T allele: OR058868). This SNP resulted in the substitution of the amino acid valine with leucine, which increased the width, length, and weight of the body and tail width in the heterozygous form (TG). The IGFI gene had three SNPs: 305 G > T in TT genotype (OR260670), 184C > T, 265T > C, and 305G > T in TC genotype (OR260669), and 265T > C in CC genotype (OR260671). The TC genotype of the IGFR gene was correlated with higher values of body measurements. Barki sheep were found to have the highest values for body weight, width, length, and tail width compared to Farafra sheep.ConclusionWe recommend the use of entire Barki sheep in inbreeding programs to improve growth performance in Egyptian sheep.

Effect of genetic polymorphisms in LALBA and Prolactin genes on milk traits in Barki ewes

This study investigated the genetic polymorphisms in Alpha-lactalbumin (LALBA) and Prolactin (PRL) genes in the Egyptian Barki sheep. The investigated genes were previously identified to be associated with milk and reproductive traits in several livestock species. Nevertheless, little is known about their contribution to milk traits in Egyptian sheep. Milk traits of daily milk yield (DMY), protein percentage (PP), fat percentage (FP), lactose percentage, and total solid percentage (TSP) were available for 256 and 233 Barki ewes for LALBA and PRL, respectively. The association analysis between the phenotypes of milk traits was carried out using the general linear model implemented in SAS software. The single strand conformation polymorphism identified 3 (A, B and C) and 2 (G and C) distinctive alleles in LALBA and PRL, respectively. Allele frequencies for LALBA variants were 0.73 (A), 0.16 (B) and 0.11 (C), and 0.63 (G), and 0.37 (C) for PRL variants. Results showed that age and parity of the ewe significantly (P < 0.05) influenced the studied milk traits. Additionally, a significant (P < 0.05) effect of LALBA variants was reported on milk composition but not DMY. Likewise, a significant (P < 0.05) effect of PRL variants was observed on DMY and TSP. Interestingly, Animals with BB genotypes of LALBA gene produced milk with high FP (5.65 ± 1.25 %), PP (5.77 ± 1.17 %), LP (7.4 ± 1.22 %) and lower TSP (13.06 ± 5.1 %) compared with animals that carry other genotypes. Regarding the PRL polymorphisms, the heterozygote ewes (GC) tended to significantly produce more milk (368.57 ± 20.39 g/day) with higher TSP (19.81 ± 1.57) compared with the homozygotes. This study reported the LALBA and PRL as candidate genes with significant effects on milk yield and composition, which may be appropriate for a wide range of selection programs with breeding objectives that focus on milk yield and composition in sheep. However, further investigations with larger sample size are recommended to confirm these findings with higher accuracy.

Echocardiographic Dimensions and Selected Hemato-Biochemical Constituents of Clinically Normal Rahmany Sheep in Egypt

Echocardiographic Dimensions and Selected Hemato-Biochemical Constituents of Clinically Normal Rahmany Sheep in Egypt

Antiviral and protective effect of small interfering RNAs against rift valley fever virus in vitro

BackgroundRift Valley Fever Virus (RVFV) is an arbovirus, a zoonotic disease that resurfaces as a potential hazard beyond geographic boundaries. Fever that can proceed to encephalitis, retinitis, hemorrhagic fever, and death is the main manifestation observed in human infections. RVFV has no authorized medication. The RNA interference (RNAi) gene silencing pathway is extremely well conserved. By targeting specific genes, small interfering RNA (siRNA) can be used to suppress viral replication. The aim of this study was to design specific siRNAs against RVFV and evaluate their prophylactic and antiviral effects on the Vero cells.Methods and resultsVarious siRNAs were designed using different bioinformatics tools. Three unique candidates were tested against an Egyptian sheep cell culture-adapted strain BSL-2 that suppressed RVFV N mRNA expression. SiRNAs were transfected a day before RVFV infection (pre-transfection), and 1 h after the viral infection (post-transfection), and were evaluated to detect the silencing activity and gene expression decrease using real-time PCR and a TCID50 endpoint test. The degree of N protein expression was determined by western blot 48 h after viral infection. D2 which targets the (488–506 nucleotides), the middle region of RVFV N mRNA was the most effective siRNA at 30 nM concentration, it almost eliminates N mRNA expression when utilized as antiviral or preventive therapy. siRNAs had a stronger antiviral silencing impact when they were post-transfected into Vero cells.ConclusionPre and post-transfection of siRNAs significantly reduced RVFV titer in cell lines, offering novel and potentially effective anti-RVFV epidemics and epizootics therapy.

Relationship of some Trace Elements (Copper and Zinc) in the Blood and Wool in Egyptian Sheep

Relationship of some Trace Elements (Copper and Zinc) in the Blood and Wool in Egyptian Sheep

Molecular detection of mixed infection with peste des petits ruminants and retroviruses in Egyptian sheep and goats.

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a contagious viral disease causing massive economic loss to animal industries in endemic countries including Egypt. Although a vaccine is available, coinfections can overwhelm the animal immune system and interfere with vaccine protection. Small ruminant retrovirus (SRR), including enzootic nasal tumor virus (ENTV) and Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV), is responsible for coinfections with PPR. Investigation of clinical cases in this study confirmed the presence of PPR virus by RT-PCR among four flocks. Sequence of five PPR amplicons revealed that all strains had 100% aa similarity and belonged to lineage IV. In addition, these strains had 98-99% nt similarity with all previous Egyptian and African strains from Sudan (MK371449) and Ethiopia (MK371449). Illumina sequencing of a representative sample showed a genome of 5753 nt compatible with ENT-2 virus with 98.42% similarity with the Chinese strain (MN564750.1). Four ORFs representing gag, pro, pol, and env genes were identified and annotated. Pro gene was highly stable while gag, pol, and env showed eight, two, and three aa differences with the reference strains. Sanger sequencing revealed that two amplicons were ENT-2 virus, and one was JSRV. ENT-2 sequences had 100% similarity with KU258870 and KU258871 reference strains while JSRV was 100% similar to the EF68031 reference strain. The phylogenetic tree showed a close relationship between the ENT of goats and the JSRV of sheep. This study highlights the complexity of PPR molecular epidemiology, with SRR that was not molecularly characterized previously in Egypt.

Association of Genetic Polymorphisms of POU1F1 Gene on Twin Production in Egyptian Sheep and Goats

Association of Genetic Polymorphisms of POU1F1 Gene on Twin Production in Egyptian Sheep and Goats

Ovine coccidiosis and associated risk factors in Minya, Egypt

BackgroundCoccidiosis is a potential protozoal disease of economic importance in sheep worldwide. The current study aimed to detect the prevalence of ovine coccidiosis and identification of the recovered species in Minya, Egypt. Three hundred and fifty sheep from Minia, Egypt, were coprologically examined for the occurrence of Eimeria species oocysts by using the standard floatation technique.ResultsOocysts were detected in 180 (51.43%) animals. Mixed infection was recorded in 37.14% (130/350) and single infection was revealed in 14.29% (50/350) sheep. The prevalence of coccidiosis was significantly higher in young sheep. Fourteen Eimeria species were detected; Eimeria bakuensis, E. webybridgensis, E. ahusta, E. intricata, E. granulosa, E. faurei, E. ninakohlyakim-ovae, Eimeria coitae-like, E. parva, E. pallida, E. marsica, E. crandallis, E. ovinoidalis and E. arloingi. The most predominant Eimeria species was Eimeria parva (14.57%; 51/350) followed by E. ovinoidalis (14.0%; 49/350), E. granulosa (8.29%; 29/350), E. bakuensis (7.14%; 25/350), E. intricata (5.43%; 19/350), E. faurei and E. webybridgensis (4.86%; 17/350 each), E. pallida (4.0%; 14/350), E. ninakohlyakim-ovae (3.71%; 13/350), E. crandallis and E. ahsata (3.43%; 12/350 each), E. marsica and E. arloingi (1.71%; 6/350 each). The least abundant species was E. coitae-like (1.14%; 4/350).ConclusionFourteen Eimeria species were recovered from sheep in Minya, Egypt; Eimeria bakuensis, E. webybridgensis, E. ahusta, E. intricata, E. granulosa, E. faurei, E. ninakohlyakim-ovae, Eimeria coitae-like, E. parva, E. pallida, E. marsica, E. crandallis, E. ovinoidalis and E. arloingi. Eimeria parva was the most common while E. coitae-like was the least. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report for the occurrence of E. coitae-like in sheep in Egypt. Prevention and effective control programs should be strictly followed to avoid economic losses resulted from the coccidian infection.

Shedding Light on the Origin of Egyptian Sheep Breeds by Evolutionary Comparison of Mitochondrial D-Loop.

Simple SummaryEgypt is a carrefour between North African Maghreb countries, East Tropical Africa, Arabian Peninsula, and Near East countries including Turkey. The aim of the present work was to describe the genetic relationships between several domestic sheep populations of these regions. All of the present-day Egyptian breeds are coarse woolen and fat-tailed, but archeologists indicate that this tail form was acquired in the Near East later from populations with a thin tail. To test this idea, we used a phylogenetic-derived program to compare the control region of mtDNA of 37 breeds with fat or thin tails. We showed that most breeds seemed to fit with the archeologist hypothesis, whereas one breed indicates a direct migration of a fat-tailed breed from Turkey. Unexpectedly, one of the breeds from South Egypt was strongly linked to the thin-tailed desert breeds of Sudan, raising the question of the events leading to this situation.(1) Background: It has been recognized that the origin of fat-tailed sheep occurred within coarse wool breeds and that this character was introgressed several times into thin-tailed populations. However, no study has investigated this idea for Egyptian breeds using mtDNA analyses. (2) Methods: Using new sequences of the control region, we constructed a database of 467 sequences representing 37 breeds including fat- and thin-tailed ones with 80 Egyptian individuals belonging to six local breeds (Barki, Fallahi, Ossimi, Rahmani, Saidi, Sohagi). The phylogenetic tree obtained with the maximum likelihood method was submitted to the Newick Extra program to count the direct and indirect links between the individuals of each breed. (3) Results: Several Egyptian breeds were strongly connected to “primitive” thin-tailed breeds from Europe, indicating a clear genetic background of the “thin tail” breed type that supports the view of archeologists. In several cases, we suspected Western Asian breeds to be involved in the introgression of the fat tail character. In contrast, the Ossimi breed showed a high affinity to a fat-tailed breed of Western Asia, suggesting a direct migration and no thin tail ancestors. The Saidi is unique as our analyses revealed its strong connection with thin-tailed Sudanese breeds.

Genome-wide analysis identified candidate variants and genes associated with heat stress adaptation in Egyptian sheep breeds.

Heat stress caused by climatic changes is one of the most significant stresses on livestock in hot and dry areas. It has particularly adverse effects on the ability of the breed to maintain homeothermy. Developing countries are advised to protect and prepare their animal resources in the face of potential threats such as climate change. The current study was conducted in Egypt’s three hot and dry agro-ecological zones. Three local sheep breeds (Saidi, Wahati, and Barki) were studied with a total of 206 ewes. The animals were exercised under natural heat stress. The heat tolerance index of the animals was calculated to identify animals with high and low heat tolerance based on their response to meteorological and physiological parameters. Genomic variation in these breeds was assessed using 64,756 single nucleotide polymorphic markers (SNPs). From the perspective of comparative adaptability to harsh conditions, our objective was to investigate the genomic structure that might control the adaptability of local sheep breeds to environmental stress under hot and dry conditions. In addition, indices of population structure and diversity of local breeds were examined. Measures of genetic diversity showed a significant influence of breed and location on populations. The standardized index of association (rbarD) ranged from 0.0012 (Dakhla) to 0.026 (Assuit), while for the breed, they ranged from 0.004 (Wahati) to 0.0103 (Saidi). The index of association analysis (Ia) ranged from 1.42 (Dakhla) to 35.88 (Assuit) by location and from 6.58 (Wahati) to 15.36 (Saidi) by breed. The most significant SNPs associated with heat tolerance were found in the MYO5A, PRKG1, GSTCD, and RTN1 genes (p ≤ 0.0001). MYO5A produces a protein widely distributed in the melanin-producing neural crest of the skin. Genetic association between genetic and phenotypic variations showed that OAR1_18300122.1, located in ST3GAL3, had the greatest positive effect on heat tolerance. Genome-wide association analysis identified SNPs associated with heat tolerance in the PLCB1, STEAP3, KSR2, UNC13C, PEBP4, and GPAT2 genes.

Immune Cell Reaction Associated with Coenurus cerebralis Infection in Sheep with Particular Reference to ELISA as a Diagnostic Tool.

Simple SummaryInfected sheep with Coenurus cerebralis (C. cerebralis) were subjected to histopathological, hematological, immunological and serological examination. In histopathological sections, cerebral tissue showed an areolar cyst wall with many protoscolices attached to the tissue with necrosis and inflammatory cells’ aggregation. The infected sheep exhibited a significant alteration in blood profile when contrasted with apparently healthy sheep. Evaluation of ELISA specificity using two antigens showed specificities of 46.2% and 38.5% for fluid and scolex Ag, respectively. Meanwhile, accuracy ranged from 76.7% and 73.3% for fluid and scolex Ag, respectively. Levels of TNF-α and IFN-γ were significantly elevated in infected sheep when contrasted with control ones.Sturdy is a disease caused by Coenurus cerebralis (C. cerebralis) that typically affects the brain and spinal cord of sheep. So, this study aimed to detect the pathological, hematological and immunological changes caused by C. cerebralis in sheep. On examination, a total of 17 sheep out of 30 sheep (56.7%) from various regions in Egypt were found infected with C. cerebralis from May to August 2019. Each cyst was extracted from the sheep brain; in addition, tissue specimens were taken from the brain tissues for histopathological examination. The hematological profile was analyzed. Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay’s (ELISA) specificity and sensitivity were evaluated using cystic fluid and protoscolices antigens (Ag). The cell-mediated immunity against the C. cerebralis cyst was also assessed via quantitative Real Time—Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) to show alterations in mRNA expression of the Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α) and gamma Interferon (IFN-γ) cytokines qRT-PCR. In histopathological sections, cerebral tissue showed an areolar cyst wall with many protoscolices attached to the tissue. The affected part showed prominent necrosis together with inflammatory cells’ aggregation. Hyperplastic proliferation of the ependymal cells was a common finding. The infected sheep exhibited significantly lower total erythrocyte numbers (ER), hemoglobin levels (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), platelet numbers (PN) and segmented cell numbers compared to apparently healthy sheep. Despite the sensitivity for the indirect ELISA being 100% for both of the Ags (fluid and scolex), the evaluation of ELISA specificity using the two antigen (Ag) preparations showed specificities of 46.2% and 38.5% for fluid and scolex Ag, respectively. Meanwhile accuracy ranged from 76.7% and 73.3% for the fluid and scolex Ags, respectively, that showed the priority was directed to the fluid to be used as an ideal sample type for ELISA. Levels of TNF-α and IFN-γ were significantly elevated in infected sheep compared to non-infected control ones. In conclusion, C. cerebralis is a serious disease infecting sheep in Egypt revealing economic losses. Although this investigation supports preliminary information about the prevalence, pathological and serological characterization of C. cerebralis, further sequencing and phylogenetic analysis is needed to understand better the T. multiceps epidemiology in ruminants and canines in Egypt.

Field Trials to Evaluate Five Fasciolicides against Natural Liver Fluke Infection in Cattle and Sheep in Egypt

Fasciola hepatica, a parasitic trematode, affects cattle and many mammals, including humans. The present study was carried out in Assuit governate, Egypt, over one year from 2018 to 2019, to assess the prevalence of fascioliasis in cattle and sheep. We clinically examined 835 animals (303 cattle and 532 sheep) from different private farms. We performed the fecal examination through a direct smear and did a sedimentation technique. The results demonstrated that fascioliasis was present in 20.8% of cattle and 17.1% of sheep, and the overall prevalence was 18.4%. After assessing associated risk factors, there was a significant association only between sex and infection rate (P&lt;0.05). Other assessed risk factors (species, water, and feeding source) did not affect the infection level (P&gt;0.05). By calculating the odds ratio, the sex was considered as a risk factor as odds ratio (OR) =5.879, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.699-9.449. Categorized the animals into six groups. We treated each group with either albendazole, triclabendazole, superzole, clorsulon, or rafoxanide. NC group received no treatment. Animals were subjected to clinical and laboratory examination after the second dose's third and sixth week. The recovery percentage in animals treated with albendazole, triclabendazole, and Superzole was 84%, while 84% and 96% in animals treated with clorsulon and rafoxanide, respectively. All the drugs were effective (P&lt;0.05); nonetheless, rafoxanide demonstrated the best recovery percentage (area under curve =0.605 in cattle and =0.615 in sheep).

Genetic variation in the ovine KAP22-1 gene and its effect on wool traits in Egyptian sheep.

The objective of this study was to investigate the genetic polymorphisms in the keratin-associated protein (KAP22-1) gene in Barki (), Rahmani () and Ossimi () as the three major sheep breeds in Egypt. Subsequently, the detected variants were correlated with important wool traits. The traits included greasy fleece weight (GFW, g), staple length (SL, cm), prickle factor (PF, %), medullated fiber (MF, %), fiber diameter (FD, m), crimp percentage (CR, %) and the standard deviation of FD (SD, m), as well as the subjectively assessed traits of kemp score (KS), handle grade (HG), greasy color grade (GCG), bulk grade (BG), luster grade (LG) and staple structure (SST). Animals were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) – single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP). Five SSCP banding patterns representing three different nucleotide variants (A, B and C) were detected. DNA sequencing confirmed three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Animal age significantly affected GFW (), SD (), SL (), CR (), KS (), LG () and SST (). Likewise, the breed had a significant effect on all studied traits except HG and BG, which was not significant. Results showed significant associations between the KAP22-1 variants and CR (), SL (), KS () and GCG (). Interestingly, animals with BB genotypes tended to produce more wool yield ( g) with high SL ( cm), CR ( %) and KS (). Results of this study strongly recommend the KAP22-1 gene as a candidate gene for wool production traits in Egyptian sheep, with new useful insights into the visually assessed wool traits. The identified genetic markers may be incorporated into breeding strategies and genetic improvement programs of wool traits in Egyptian sheep.

Impact of different feeding strategies on welfare, milk yield and productive performance in Egyptian dairy sheep and goat

Impact of different feeding strategies on welfare, milk yield and productive performance in Egyptian dairy sheep and goat

Genetic variability in GH and IGFBP-3 genes and their association with growth performance in Egyptian sheep

The polymorphisms in Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-3 (IGFBP-3) and Growth Hormone (GH) have an effect on mammalian growth control, development and reproduction activity. This investigation aimed to study the polymorphism in IGFBP-3 and GH genes, and detect their association with body weights and growth performance of several sheep breeds (Ovis aries) namely; Rahmani, Barki, Rahmani x Barki cross, Awassi/Awassi x Suffolk cross and Ossimi. Digestion of 654 bp for IGFBP-3/HaeIII yielded only one restriction pattern of 8 fragments in all studied breeds revealing the absence of polymorphism and this agrees with gene sequencing. While, sequencing analysis of the amplified fragment of GH gene revealed polymorphism in nucleotide sequencing. 4 SNPs out of 11 (C1776G, T1772A, G1769C and C1765A) in Rahmani, while 1 SNPs out of 2 (A1544G) in Barki, whilst 3 SNPs out of 4 (A1678G, A1558G and A1544G) in Rahmani x Barki cross, whereas 2 SNPs out of 4 (C1765A and G1550A) in Awassi /Awassi x Suffolk cross and 3 SNPs out of 8 (T1772A, G1769C and G1756C) in Ossimi were very important. The amino acid sequence for GH gene of Rahmani was different from those of other breeds in 4 amino acids, while, each of Rahmani x Barki cross and Ossimi amino acid sequences were different in 3 amino acids. The current results suggest that body weights and growth performance of tested sheep breeds at different stages of growth are statistically affected by GH gene which could be considered as a candidate gene for growth in breeding programs.

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.

Molecular characterization of sheep major histocompatibility complex (OVAR-MHC) Class II DQA1 gene in two Egyptian breeds

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a large locus on vertebrate DNA that contains a set of closely related polymorphic genes coding for cell surface proteins essential for an adaptive immune system. MHC is thought to be under strong selection pressure because of its main role in infectious disease resistance. Thus, the pattern of different MHC genes variation should reflect this selection pressure in animal's natural populations. To test this hypothesis, we investigate the nature and frequency of polymorphism of the sheep MHC class II DQA1 gene in two different common local Egyptian sheep breeds (Ossimi and Saidi). Ovar-DQA1 gene is considered one of the most important response genes in the MHC region. In the current study, blood samples of 50 Egyptian sheep from two breeds (32 Ossimi and 18 Saidi) with different ages and sex and from seven different farms in Qena governorate were collected for DNA extraction and PCR amplification. The PCR products of 18 DQA1 alleles were examined using direct sequencing, for the detection of polymorphism in a functionally relevant domain of the DQA1 gene. Among the investigated samples the phylogenetic tree reconstruction and sequence comparison revealed different DQA1 alleles. Thirty-two sheep samples lacking DQA1, five different alleles were identified for the two breeds. The multiple sequence alignment illustrates nucleotide polymorphism and conserved regions in the identified sequences. This variation leads to a better understanding of the genetic makeup of Ovar-MHC and facilitates the selective breeding programs to determine the resistance and susceptibility to disease in sheep.

A recent update about seroprevalence of ovine neosporosis in Northern Egypt and its associated risk factors

Neospora caninum (Family: Sarcocystidae) is an obligate intracellular protozoan. It is one of the most critical abortifacients in ruminants. The seroprevalence of antibodies against N. caninum and its risk factors was investigated among 430 sheep from four North Egyptian governorates, Alexandria, Gharbia, Menofia, and Qalyubia, during the period from 2017 to 2018. Generally, the overall prevalence rate of N. caninum among sheep was 8.6%. The logistic regression analysis for the obtained data revealed that N. caninum increased significantly with age (OR = 2.4, 95% CI: 8.4–18.7) of the ewe (OR = 3.3, 95% CI: 7.6–14.9), particularly among sheep in contact with dogs (OR = 4.9, 95% CI: 7.5–14.3). Besides, locality, season, and pregnancy status of examined sheep had no significant effect on the appearance of N. caninum infection. the present findings confirm the presence of N. caninum among sheep in Egypt which probably play a role in reproductive failure in sheep. Therefore, sanitary measures and monitoring of the infection should be implemented to reduce the spreading of the infection.