Fur Animals Research Articles

Resources of mountain hare (Lepustimidus) in the Tver region

Mountain hare (Lepustimidus) is one of the most common game animals in the Tver region and a popular object of unprofessional hunting. The purpose of the research was the ecological and economic evaluation of the allocation of mountain hare resources in the Tver region for the period 2013–2022. Interval variation series were constructed to grade the indicators of the state of the species’ resources. For the fi rst time, maps were created that demonstrate the average long-term indicators of the abundance, production, population density, bioproductivity of hunting grounds and the output of mountain hare, as well as the cost assessment of the resources of this animal, taking into account the administrative-territorial division of the Tver region. During the analyzed period, fl uctuations in the number of mountain hares in the region were observed with an increase (decrease) in the indicator in relation to the previous year from –37.5 to 40.5 %. The situation with the volumes of production of this fur animal was unstable because of the resources were developed at the level of 6–17 % of the commercial population. The following average long-term indicators of the resource potential of mountain hare were obtained for the Tver region such as population 38 995 individuals, production volumes 3639 individuals, population density 5 individuals/1000 ha, resource cost 156 million rubles, bioproductivity of hunting grounds 5 rubles/ha, product output 0.5 rubles/ha. It was revealed that the Andreapolsky, Toropetsky and Udomelsky districts of the Tver region are the most promising for organizing unprofessional hunting for mountain hare.

Comparing the Efficacy of the Medicinal Products Expresstabs® and Inspector Quadro in Treating Otodectosis in Foxes in Fur Farming Conditions

Introduction. Fur farming is a cost-effective sector of Russian agriculture, therefore the livestock health issues are relevant. The growth, development and productivity of fur caged breeding animals are affected by various biotic and abiotic factors. Among the biotic factors are diseases, in particular invasive ones, caused, among other things, by ectoparasites. Pathogens associated with ectoparasites often infect fur animals and are widespread. The aim of our work is to study the efficacy of using the medicinal products ExpressTabs® and Inspector Quadro Tabs in treating the otodectosis in foxes in fur farming conditions.Materials and Methods. The study was carried out with 30 caged breeding foxes aged 2 years at Fur Farm “Savvatevo” LLC (Tver Region, Savvatevo village). Foxes were divided into 2 experimental and 1 control groups. Foxes were preliminarily examined clinically, samples of material from the auricles and external auditory canals were taken to find the ear mites Otodectes cynotis. The ExpressTabs® was used in foxes for the first time. The ExpressTabs® and Inspector Quadro Tabs were used according to the instructions, individually, perorally, with a small amount of feed and subsequent observation. To assess the efficacy of the medicinal products, control sampling and microscopy of material from the auricles and external auditory canals were carried out 48 hours, 7 days and 28 days after the start of the experiment. Blood samples were also taken to monitor the parameters before and after administration of the ExpressTabs®.Results. Based on the results of the experiment, we have established the high efficacy of the antiparasitic drugs ExpressTabs® and Inspector Quadro Tabs in treating fox otodectosis in caged breeding conditions. When using the ExpressTabs®, the efficacy was 90% against the ear mite O. cynotis: on the 28th day after the start of using the medicinal product, during the examination of foxes using microscopy, we found only one animal having 4 specimens of O. cynotis in the material from the auricles and external auditory canals, however, all the mites were motionless and without signs of life. The efficacy of the Inspector Quadro Tabs against the ear mite O. cynotis was 80%: on the 28th day, during the examination, only two animals were found to have mites in the scrapings, however, also without signs of life. According to the blood test results, the drug ExpressTabs® proved to have no any pronounced toxic effect on the body of foxes and is safe for use in caged keeping conditions.Discussion and Conclusion. The drugs ExpressTabs® and Inspector Quadro Tabs have shown high efficacy in foxes with otodectosis. These medicinal products can be introduced into the veterinary practices of the fur farms for treating foxes with otodectosis.

Treatment of Allergies to Fur Animals.

Allergy to fur animals is becoming an increasingly common clinical problem in everyday medical practice. Depending on the route of exposure to the allergen, patients present with many, often non-specific symptoms. The most common illnesses among people with allergies to the above-mentioned allergens are as follows: allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, atopic bronchial asthma, food allergy, allergic contact dermatitis, and sometimes anaphylactic shock. In recent years, there has been a change in the holistic approach to the treatment of allergy patients. The method of treatment should be tailored to a specific patient, taking into account his or her predispositions, economic possibilities, and therapeutic goals. The article describes the main methods of treating allergies, focusing primarily on allergies to fur animals. Allergy treatment always requires great care, and qualification for specific types of therapy should be preceded by a thorough and accurate diagnosis.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infections on fur farms connected to mass mortalities of black-headed gulls, Finland, July to October 2023.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has caused widespread mortality in both wild and domestic birds in Europe 2020-2023. In July 2023, HPAI A(H5N1) was detected on 27 fur farms in Finland. In total, infections in silver and blue foxes, American minks and raccoon dogs were confirmed by RT-PCR. The pathological findings in the animals include widespread inflammatory lesions in the lungs, brain and liver, indicating efficient systemic dissemination of the virus. Phylogenetic analysis of Finnish A(H5N1) strains from fur animals and wild birds has identified three clusters (Finland I-III), and molecular analyses revealed emergence of mutations known to facilitate viral adaptation to mammals in the PB2 and NA proteins. Findings of avian influenza in fur animals were spatially and temporally connected with mass mortalities in wild birds. The mechanisms of virus transmission within and between farms have not been conclusively identified, but several different routes relating to limited biosecurity on the farms are implicated. The outbreak was managed in close collaboration between animal and human health authorities to mitigate and monitor the impact for both animal and human health.

Direct transmission of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus from farm-raised fur animals to workers in Weihai, China.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease. SFTS virus (SFTSV) is transmitted by tick bites and contact with the blood or body fluids of SFTS patients. Animal-to-human transmission of SFTS has been reported in Japan, but not in China. In this study, the possible transmission route of two patients who fed and cared for farm-raised fur animals in a mink farm was explored. An epidemiological investigation and a genetic analysis of patients, animals and working environment were carried out. It was found that two patients had not been bitten by ticks and had no contact with patients infected with SFTS virus, but both of them had skinned the dying animals. 54.55% (12/22) of the farm workers were positive for SFTS virus antibody. By analyzing the large, medium and small segments sequences, the viral sequences from the two patients, animals and environments showed 99.9% homology. It is suspected that the two patients may be directly infected by farm-raised animals, and that the virus may have been transmitted by aerosols when skinning dying animals. Transmission by direct blood contacts or animal bites cannot be ignored.

Muscle Transcriptome Analysis of Mink at Different Growth Stages Using RNA-Seq.

Mink is a kind of small and precious fur animal resource. In this study, we employed transcriptomics technology to analyze the gene expression profile of mink pectoral muscle tissue, thereby elucidating the regulatory mechanisms underlying mink growth and development. Consequently, a total of 25,954 gene expression profiles were acquired throughout the growth and development stages of mink at 45, 90, and 120 days. Among these profiles, 2607 genes exhibited significant differential expression (|log2(fold change)| ≥ 2 and p_adj < 0.05). GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed that the differentially expressed genes were primarily associated with the mitotic cell cycle process, response to growth factors, muscle organ development, and insulin resistance. Furthermore, GSEA enrichment analysis demonstrated a significant enrichment of differentially expressed genes in the p53 signaling pathway at 45 days of age. Subsequent analysis revealed that genes associated with embryonic development (e.g., PEG10, IGF2, NRK), cell cycle regulation (e.g., CDK6, CDC6, CDC27, CCNA2), and the FGF family (e.g., FGF2, FGF6, FGFR2) were all found to be upregulated at 45 days of age in mink, which suggested a potential role for these genes in governing early growth and developmental processes. Conversely, genes associated with skeletal muscle development (PRVA, TNNI1, TNNI2, MYL3, MUSTN1), a negative regulator of the cell cycle gene (CDKN2C), and IGFBP6 were found to be up-regulated at 90 days of age, suggesting their potential involvement in the rapid growth of mink. In summary, our experimental data provide robust support for elucidating the regulatory mechanisms underlying the growth and development of mink.

ПРОФИЛИ МОЛЕКУЛЯРНОЙ СЕНСИБИЛИЗАЦИИ К АЛЛЕРГЕНАМ ПУШНЫХ ЖИВОТНЫХ У ПАЦИЕНТОВ РОССИЙСКОЙ ФЕДЕРАЦИИ

Molecular sensibilization patterns have not been yet described for the Russian population, which makes it difficult to develop prevention, elimination and treatment methods for patients with allergic pathology. The purpose of this research was to analyze patterns of sensibilization to components of fur animal allergens in patients examined in order to exclude the sensibilization. Materials and methods used: results of 1113 Immuno Solid-phase Allergen Chip (ISAC) in patients with suspected atopy were analyzed. In all patients, sIgE concentrations to allergenic components of fur animals were determined. Results: 468 (58.21%) of 1113 were found to have sensibilization to fur animal allergens. Of these, 396 (84.62%) were sensibilized to the cat, 277 (59.19%) to the dog, 98 (20.94%) to the horse, and 26 (5.55%) to the mouse. sIgE to Fel d 1 was determined in 90.91% of patients with cat sensibilization, and the median concentration of sIgE to Fel d 1 was higher than to Fel d 2 (p=0.011) and Fel d 4 (p&lt;0.001) (5.4 [1,7; 15]). ISU-E, sIgE to Can f 1 was detected in 73.29%, to Can f 2 - in 18.05%, to Can f 5 - in 41.52% of patients sensibilized to dogs. Among children under 9 y/o, the frequency of detection of sensitization to Can f 5 was less frequent than in the group of children aged over 10 y/o and adults (p&lt;0.001). Conclusion: the Russian population is characterized by a high prevalence of sensibilization to fur animal allergens. Most patients had polysensibilization to components of cat (Fel d 1) and dog (Can f 1, 2 and 5) allergens. It was revealed that Can f 2 has a higher allergenic potential, which in its turn allows it to be identified as a major dog allergen. 92.55% of patients with sensibilization to Fur-bearing animals have an increased risk of developing asthma.

Provision of veterinary services in livestock holdings in the Russian Federation

Being the primary link in the disease notification system, specialists of the veterinary service in livestock holdings ensure continuous monitoring and control of animal health. This analysis includes assessment of the actual availability of veterinary services in the absolute majority of animal holdings in 85 Subjects of the Russian Federation. In total, the study covered 6,226,368 holdings for major livestock species, such as cattle and small ruminants, pigs, poultry, horses and fur animals. Small-scale holdings have been shown to account for the largest proportion (99.7%) of the total number of livestock farms, while the proportion of holdings where animal health control is daily organized has varied from 0.03% in fur farms to 3% in poultry farms. The significant role of animal owners in small-scale holdings within the implementation of epizootological surveillance has been determined. It was revealed that the main populations of pigs, poultry and fur animals are concentrated in large-scale livestock farms. The study results indicate a relatively favorable situation in pig and poultry holdings, where only single cases of lack of veterinary service were reported. On the contrary there are multiple cases of lack of veterinary care in the farms for rearing cattle, small ruminants, fur animals. The paper highlights the mechanisms for the implementation of tasks assigned to the state veterinary service in terms of the organization of planned preventive and diagnostic veterinary measures in large pig breeding establishments. Proposals were made to introduce a legally fixed obligation for animal owners in large-scale livestock holdings to establish and maintain the production veterinary service, as well as a proposal to establish divisions of the state veterinary service in large-scale livestock establishments.

PSXII-10 Development of a 70k Snp Genotyping Array for American Mink (Neogale vison)

Abstract Mink is an important fur animal species; however, little is known about the genomics of complex traits in mink. The development of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array has accelerated genomics application in animal breeding by facilitating genotyping and associated analyses. The current project aimed to design a medium-density SNP array in American mink for genomic studies and selection in this species. For this purpose, whole genome sequence with 30x coverage was generated for 100 individuals from the Canadian Centre for Fur Animal Research (CCFAR) at the Dalhousie Faculty of Agriculture (Truro, NS, Canada) and Millbank Fur Farm (Rockwood, ON, Canada). Variant calling was done using Samtools and GATK pipelines. A total of 8,373,854 bi-allelic SNPs identified by both pipelines were used for an initial selection of 91K SNPs for submission to the Affymetrix scoring system. After filtering, 62,375 SNPs were selected for probe design and production of an Axiom Mink Genotyping Array 70K. This 70K SNP array was used to genotype 2,973 mink for validation. After quality control of genotypes, 47,159 SNPs were classified as high-resolution SNPs, and among them 24,237 were polymorphic. A preliminary genome-wide association study of 1,356 mink for body length at harvest identified a SNP (AX-647623051) significantly associated (P &amp;lt; 1.26 × 10-5) with the trait. In conclusion, this 70K mink SNP array could be used for genomic studies and potentially as a starting point for genomic selection programs in American mink.

PSXII-9 Identifying Selection Signatures for Immune Response and Resilience to Aleutian Disease in Mink Using Genotypes Data

Abstract Aleutian disease (AD), a severe immune-complex disease, brings tremendous financial losses to the mink industry. Resilience is the ability of an animal to minimize the influences caused by disturbances and maintain its performance under pathogen exposure. Many AD-positive farms have selected AD-resilient mink based on AD tests and/or AD-resilience indicator traits, such as growth, pelt quality, and reproduction. Selection based on these indicator traits may have changed the patterns of genetic variation and potentially represent a genomic signature that can be used to identify genes subjected to selection. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to identify the selection signatures related to immune response (IRE) and resilience to AD. . A total of 1,411 mink in five color types (black, demi, mahogany, pastel, and stardust) from the Canadian Centre for Fur Animal Research (Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada), which is an AD-positive facility, were genotyped using the Axiom Affymetrix Mink 70K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) panel. For the IRE trait, 264 mink were grouped into pairwise groups based on the combined results of counter-immunoelectrophoresis (CIEP) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests. Individuals in black (n = 29), demi (n = 131), mahogany (n = 76), and pastel (36) color types were also grouped based on combined results of CIEP and ELISA tests, respectively. For resilience traits, two methods were used to group CIEP-positive individuals into pairwise groups: 1) based on their general resilience performance (GRP, n = 30), which was measured by considering individual performance for feed conversion ratio, Kleiber ratio, and pelt quality, and 2) based on female reproductive performance (FRP, CIEP-positive dams only, n = 36), which was measured by the number of kits alive 24h after birth. The pairwise fixation index, nucleotide diversity, and cross-population extended haplotype homozygosity were used to detect selection signatures. Only SNPs detected by at least two methods were considered selection signatures candidates, including 619, 569, and 526 SNPs for IRE, GRP, and FRP traits, respectively. The genes annotated from the candidate SNPs were associated with previously reported traits influenced by AD, including immune system process, growth, reproduction, and pigmentation. Notably, two olfactory-related gene ontology (GO) terms were significant (q &amp;lt; 0.05) for all studied traits, suggesting AD might cause loss of smell in infected mink. Additionally, the differences in genes and GO terms detected across different color types for IRE indicated that mink of different color types may differ in immune response to AD. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathway was significant (q &amp;lt; 0.05) in Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses for FRP, indicating AD infection may disorder the MAPK signalling pathway, in turn influencing female reproductive performance. Our study has enhanced the understanding of genomic architecture underlying resilience of mink to AD and sheds light on the underlying biological mechanisms involved.

Investigation of the SARS-CoV-2 post-vaccination antibody response in Canadian farmed mink

Currently, SARS-CoV-2 have been detected in farmed mink in 13 different countries. Due to the high susceptibility and transmissibility among mink, great concerns of mink serving as a reservoir to generate novel variants with unknown virulence and antigenic properties arose. These concerns have consequently resulted in entire mink productions being culled and banned. This study investigates the post-vaccination antibody response in the Canadian farmed mink vaccinated with a commercial Index spike protein-based vaccine, approved for use in cats, and compares the antibody response to that observed post infection in Danish farmed mink. Blood samples were obtained from 50 mink at the Canadian Centre for Fur Animal Research (CCFAR), Dalhousie University (Truro, Canada). The sera were initially analyzed for antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and selected sera was subsequently tested in a virus neutralization tests. The levels of neutralizing antibodies were evaluated for an ancestral D614G strain and a recent circulating SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern (Omicron BA.4). The results revealed that the vaccine induced a strong antibody response in mink by reaching antibody titer levels of up to 1:12800 in the ELISA. Moreover, high levels of neutralizing antibodies were obtained, and despite the great level of genetic differences between the ancestral and Omicron BA.4 strains, the vaccinated mink showed high levels of cross-reacting neutralizing antibodies. Interestingly, the antibody levels towards SARS-CoV-2 in the Canadian vaccinated mink were significantly higher than observed in recently SARS-CoV-2 infected Danish mink and equal to anamnestic responses following re-infection. In conclusion, the vaccine used in the Canadian farmed mink was able to induce a strong and broad-reacting antibody response in mink, which could limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in farmed mink and thereby reduce the risk of mink serving as a SARS-CoV-2 reservoir for human infections.

Effects of Platycladus orientalis Leaf Extract on the Growth Performance, Fur-Production, Serum Parameters, and Intestinal Microbiota of Raccoon Dogs.

Platycladus orientalis leaves are rich in flavonoids and polysaccharides, which offer high medicinal and nutritional benefits. This study aimed to investigate the impact of P. orientalis leaf extract (PLE) on the growth performance, fur quality, serum parameters, and intestinal microbiota of raccoon dogs. Sixty healthy male black raccoon dogs, aged 85 (±5) days, were randomly assigned to four groups and fed a basal diet supplemented with 0, 0.25, 0.50, and 1.00 g/kg PLE for 125 days (designated as groups P0, P1, P2, and P3, respectively). The results revealed that the raccoon dogs in group P1 exhibited increased average daily gain and underfur length while showing a decreased feed/gain ratio compared to group P0 (p < 0.05). However, the heart index in group P2 was significantly lower than in group P0 (p < 0.05), and the kidney index and serum alanine aminotransferase activities in group P3 were higher than in groups P2 and P0 (p < 0.05), suggesting potential adverse effects at higher PLE dosages. Notably, dietary PLE supplementation led to a reduction in serum glucose concentrations (p < 0.05), which may have implications for glucose regulation. Furthermore, the study explored the impact of dietary supplementation with 0.25 g/kg PLE on the raccoon dogs' intestinal microbiota using high-throughput sequencing. The results showed significant alterations in the microbial community structure, with a notable decrease in the abundance of Prevotella copri in response to 0.25 g/kg PLE supplementation (p < 0.05). In conclusion, supplementing raccoon dogs' diet with 0.25 g/kg PLE can lead to improved growth performance and a positive influence on the intestinal microbiota. However, caution should be exercised regarding higher dosages, as they may have adverse effects on certain parameters. As a result, PLE holds promise as a potential feed additive for fur animal production.

ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY OF ANTI-EPIZOOTIC MEASURES, CARRIED OUT BY THE STATE VETERINARY SERVICE OF THE REPUBLIC OF SAKHA (YAKUTIA)

The article analyses the economic efficiency of anti-epizootic actions by the State Veterinary Service of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The spread of infectious diseases of farm animals in the territory of Yakutia has a particular impact on the livestock economy. For 21 years (2001 - 2021), 99.5 thousand heads of all types of productive animals and poultry (cattle, pigs, horses, reindeer, small cattle, fur animals, poultry) fell ill with all infections. Furthermore, due to the death (case) and forced slaughter of sick animals, 31.2 thousand heads dropped out of the herd circulation. Diseases, including the death of animals, caused the loss of 188.9 tons of meat in live weight and 385 skins of fur-bearing animals, with a total economic loss of 426.6 million rubles. The economic efficiency of planned anti-epizootic measures in 2021 amounted to 870 million rubles. This efficiency is expressed through the indicator of the prevented economic damage for all farm animals. At the same time, the loss of 3054.9 tons of meat in live weight and 2.1 thousand skins of fur-bearing animals was prevented. The annual prevented economic damage was two times higher than the damage caused over 21 years, indicating the high economic efficiency of anti-epizootic measures. The share of prevented financial losses from infectious animal diseases in the cost of livestock products was 4.6%, which determines the contribution of livestock veterinary services to the economy of agricultural production in Yakutia.

Avian influenza overview June-September 2023.

Between 24 June and 1 September 2023, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5) outbreaks were reported in domestic (25) and wild (482) birds across 21 countries in Europe. Most of these outbreaks appeared to be clustered along coastlines with only few HPAI virus detections inland. In poultry, all HPAI outbreaks were primary and sporadic with most of them occurring in the United Kingdom. In wild birds, colony-breeding seabirds continued to be most heavily affected, but an increasing number of HPAI virus detections in waterfowl is expected in the coming weeks. The current epidemic in wild birds has already surpassed the one of the previous epidemiological year in terms of total number of HPAI virus detections. As regards mammals, A(H5N1) virus was identified in 26 fur animal farms in Finland. Affected species included American mink, red and Arctic fox, and common raccoon dog. The most likely source of introduction was contact with gulls. Wild mammals continued to be affected worldwide, mostly red foxes and different seal species. Since the last report and as of 28 September 2023, two A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b virus detections in humans have been reported by the United Kingdom, and three human infections with A(H5N6) and two with A(H9N2) were reported from China, respectively. No human infection related to the avian influenza detections in animals on fur farms in Finland or in cats in Poland have been reported, and human infections with avian influenza remain a rare event. The risk of infection with currently circulating avian H5 influenza viruses of clade 2.3.4.4b in Europe remains low for the general population in the EU/EEA. The risk of infection remains low to moderate for occupationally or otherwise exposed people to infected birds or mammals (wild or domesticated); this assessment covers different situations that depend on the level of exposure.

First report on identification and genomic analysis of a novel porcine circovirus (porcine circovirus 4) in cats.

Porcine circovirus type 4 (PCV4) is an emerging circovirus, which has been detected in domestic pigs across various provinces in China and Korea. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether cats are susceptible to PCV4. For this purpose, we collected 116 cat samples from animal hospitals in Sichuan Province, China, between 2021 and 2022. Using a SYBR Green-based real-time PCR assay, we detected PCV4 in 5 out of the 116 clinical samples, indicating a positive rate of 4.31% (5/116) and confirming the presence of PCV4 in cats from Sichuan Province, China. Moreover, we successfully sequenced and analyzed the complete genome of one PCV4 strain (SCGA-Cat) along with 60 reference sequences deposited in the GenBank database. SCGA-Cat exhibited high nucleotide homology (98.2-99.0%) with PCV4 strains from other species, including dogs, pigs, dairy cows, and fur animals. Notably, the SCGA-Cat strain from cats clustered closely with a PCV4 strain derived from a pig collected in Fujian Province, China. To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the first report on the molecular detection of PCV4 in cats worldwide, which prompted us to understand the genetic diversity and cross-species transmission of the ongoing PCV4 cases. However, further investigations are needed to explore the association between PCV4 infection and clinical syndromes in cats.

High subtelomeric GC content in the genome of a zoonotic Cryptosporidium species.

Cryptosporidium canis is a zoonotic species causing cryptosporidiosis in humans in addition to its natural hosts dogs and other fur animals. To understand the genetic basis for host adaptation, we sequenced the genomes of C. canis from dogs, minks, and foxes and conducted a comparative genomics analysis. While the genomes of C. canis have similar gene contents and organisations, they (~41.0 %) and C. felis (39.6 %) have GC content much higher than other Cryptosporidium spp. (24.3-32.9 %) sequenced to date. The high GC content is mostly restricted to subtelomeric regions of the eight chromosomes. Most of these GC-balanced genes encode Cryptosporidium-specific proteins that have intrinsically disordered regions and are involved in host-parasite interactions. Natural selection appears to play a more important role in the evolution of codon usage in GC-balanced C. canis, and most of the GC-balanced genes have undergone positive selection. While the identity in whole genome sequences between the mink- and dog-derived isolates is 99.9 % (9365 SNVs), it is only 96.0 % (362 894 SNVs) between them and the fox-derived isolate. In agreement with this, the fox-derived isolate possesses more subtelomeric genes encoding invasion-related protein families. Therefore, the change in subtelomeric GC content appears to be responsible for the more GC-balanced C. canis genomes, and the fox-derived isolate could represent a new Cryptosporidium species.

Science school in animal ecological physiology at the Institute of Biology of the Karelian Research Center RAS – from practical tasks to theoretical developments

The article discusses the main stages in the history of the science school in ecological physiology of animals at the Institute of Biology of the Karelian Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the contributions of individual scientists to its development. The specifics of its development and the main scientific achievements of members of the school over a half-century period are recounted. Current research areas and prospects for the future are considered. The emergence of the science school in ecological physiology of animals is associated with the name of Doctor of Veterinary Sciences, Honored Scientist, Professor V. A. Berestov, who in 1972 headed the Laboratory for Physiology of Fur Animals. Initially, it dealt with applied tasks related to problems in fur farming. The second stage in the history of the science school is associated with the work of N. N. Tyutyunnik. In 1987, as research was deepened and expanded to cover the adaptations of animals to various environmental factors, the Laboratory for Physiology of Fur Animals was transformed into the Laboratory for Animal Ecophysiology. Since 2008 the Laboratory was headed by V. A. Ilyukha, Dr. Sci. in Biology, and since 2017 by S. N. Kalinina, Cand. Sci. in Biology. Currently, the laboratory staff study the physiology of mammals living in the wild as well as conduct experiments to study the effects of the light factor in the laboratory

Population genomics of American mink using genotype data.

Understanding the genetic structure of the target population is critically important to develop an efficient genomic selection program in domestic animals. In this study, 2,973 American mink of six color types from two farms (Canadian Centre for Fur Animal Research (CCFAR), Truro, NS and Millbank Fur Farm (MFF), Rockwood, ON) were genotyped with the Affymetrix Mink 70K panel to compute their linkage disequilibrium (LD) patterns, effective population size (Ne), genetic diversity, genetic distances, and population differentiation and structure. The LD pattern represented by average r 2, decreased to <0.2 when the inter-marker interval reached larger than 350kb and 650kb for CCFAR and MFF, respectively, and suggested at least 7,700 and 4,200 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) be used to obtain adequate accuracy for genomic selection programs in CCFAR and MFF respectively. The Ne for five generations ago was estimated to be 76 and 91 respectively. Our results from genetic distance and diversity analyses showed that American mink of the various color types had a close genetic relationship and low genetic diversity, with most of the genetic variation occurring within rather than between color types. Three ancestral genetic groups was considered the most appropriate number to delineate the genetic structure of these populations. Black (in both CCFAR and MFF) and pastel color types had their own ancestral clusters, while demi, mahogany, and stardust color types were admixed with the three ancestral genetic groups. This study provided essential information to utilize the first medium-density SNP panel for American mink in their genomic studies.

Coat color inheritance in American mink

BackgroundUnderstanding the genetic mechanisms underlying coat color inheritance has always been intriguing irrespective of the animal species including American mink (Neogale vison). The study of color inheritance in American mink is imperative since fur color is a deterministic factor for the success of mink industry. However, there have been no studies during the past few decades using in-depth pedigree for analyzing the inheritance pattern of colors in American mink.MethodsIn this study, we analyzed the pedigree of 23,282 mink extending up to 16 generations. All animals that were raised at the Canadian Center for Fur Animal Research (CCFAR) from 2003 to 2021 were used in this study. We utilized the Mendelian ratio and Chi-square test to investigate the inheritance of Dark (9,100), Pastel (5,161), Demi (4,312), and Mahogany (3,358) colors in American mink.ResultsThe Mendelian inheritance ratios of 1:1 and 3:1 indicated heterozygous allelic pairs responsible for all studied colors. Mating sire and dam of the same color resulted in the production of offspring with the same color most of the time.ConclusionOverall, the results suggested that color inheritance was complex and subjected to a high degree of diversity in American mink as the genes responsible for all four colors were found to be heterozygous.

Influence of Biosteel on the reproductive ability of American Mink, the Standard dark brown genotype with different defensive response to humans

The article presents the results of studies on the effect of different doses of Biosteel, when administered orally, on the reproductive ability of American mink females of the Standard dark brown (+/+) genotype with a positive and negative defensive reaction to humans. The studies were carried out at the Department of Obstetrics, Anatomy and Histology of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education of the Novosibirsk State Agrarian University and based on the Mustelidae Genetics Sector of the Center for Collective Use “Gene Pools of Fur and Agricultural Animals” of the Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. In the technology of reproduction of animals of the experimental and control groups, the system of conducting the rut, generally accepted on fur farms, was used. Biosteel was applied to females and males of Standard dark brown (+/+) American mink of manual and aggressive types of behaviour at a dose of 0.05 ml/kg and 0.025 ml/kg of body weight before mating for five days and during mating for five days. The effectiveness of using Biosteel to improve the reproductive function of females depended on its dose and the type of animal behaviour. Compared with the minks of the control groups, the females of the experimental groups showed higher rates of reproductive ability. In the group of tame females that received the drug with food at a dose of 0.05 ml/kg of body weight, there were no dead females, the survival of puppies in the first seven days of life increased by 3.8 times, and there was a tendency to reduce stillbirths. Biosteel had a pronounced beneficial effect on the reproduction of females with an aggressive type of behaviour at a dose of 0.025 ml/kg of body weight: the integral reproduction index increased by 1.13 heads. And the number of females that successfully whelped by 17%, the number of females without offspring decreased by 5.9 times, and the mortality of minnows in the first seven days of life declined by 3.9%. The absolute body weight of the offspring of females by the time of jigging increased by 19.2 – 24.5%, and by 6 – 7 months of age – by 4 – 11%.