Goat Capra Hircus Research Articles

Sex-driven neighborhood effects on herbivory in the dioecious Mediterranean palm Chamaerops humilis L.

Although it is well recognized that the strength of plant-herbivore interactions can vary with the plant sex, the distance, and the density of conspecific neighbors, no study has yet assessed their combined influence. Here, we filled this knowledge gap by focusing on the dioecious palm Chamaerops humilis L., and its two main herbivores, the invasive moth Paysandisia archon Burmeister and the feral goat Capra hircus L. We evaluated levels and spatial patterns of herbivory, as well as those of plant size and number of inflorescences in two palm populations in Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain). Our spatial point pattern analyses revealed that palms not affected by moth herbivory or goat florivory were spatially aggregated, goats fed more strongly upon inflorescences in palms with more neighbors, but they consumed more leaves in isolated palms. Interestingly, we could reveal for the first time that plant sex is a key plant trait modulating neighborhood effects. For instance, whereas aggregated female palms experienced lower intensity of goat florivory than isolated ones, male palms showed the opposite pattern. Palm size and number of inflorescences also showed sex-related differences, suggesting that sexual dimorphism is a key driver of the observed neighborhood effects on herbivory. Our study highlights the importance of considering relevant plant traits such as sex when investigating plant neighborhood effects, calling for further research to fully understand the dynamics governing plant-herbivore interactions in dioecious systems.

From seed dispersal service to reproductive collapse: density‐dependent outcome of a palm–mammal interaction

Interspecific ecological interactions are inherently context‐dependent. They may vary in both magnitude and sign depending on the biotic and abiotic conditions, depicting a mutualism–antagonism continuum. However, how population abundances and the activity of interacting species modulate these interactions remains underexplored. Here, we chose the interaction between the Mediterranean palm Chamaerops humilis and the feral goat Capra hircus in Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain). We selected three study plots with low, intermediate and high intensities of goat activity where we characterized palm distribution, seed rain, seed predation and early palm recruitment during two consecutive years. Since goats can cause both costs (e.g. florivory) and benefits (e.g. seed dispersal) to C. humilis performance, we investigated the following three questions: 1) does the spatial distribution of adult palms vary depending on the intensity of goat activity? 2) Does the intensity of goat activity influence seed rain and its potential spatial association with adult palms? 3) To what extent does the intensity of goat activity determine post‐dispersal events such as seed predation and seedling emergence? We found that adult palms showed a more clumped and complex distribution (double‐cluster process) in plots with low and intermediate goat activity compared to that with high goat activity (simple‐cluster process). In the low goat activity plot, dispersed seeds were spatially aggregated around adult palms, showing twice as much insect‐seed predation and nearly three times lower seed germination success than those in the intermediate goat activity plot. Palm seed dispersal and recruitment were almost nil in the high goat activity plot due to heavy consumption of palm inflorescences and developing fruits by goats. Our findings demonstrate how the net outcome of plant–animal interactions can change from mutualism to antagonism, from reproductive service to reproductive collapse, depending on the abundance and the activity of the interacting species.

Structural and Functional Characteristics of the Proline-Rich Antimicrobial Peptide Minibactenecin from Leukocytes of Domestic Goat Capra hircus.

We performed structural and functional studies of minibactenecin mini-ChBac7.5Nα, a natural proline-rich cathelicidin from domestic goat Capra hircus. To identify the key residues important for the biological action of the peptide, a panel of its alanine-substituted analogues was produced. The development of E. coli resistance to the natural minibactenecin, as well as to its analogues carrying substitutions for hydrophobic amino acids in the C-terminal residues was studied. The data obtained indicate the possibility of rapid development of the resistance to this class of peptides. The main factors in the formation of the antibiotic resistance are various mutations leading to inactivation of the SbmA transporter.

Comparative study of morphology and keratin levels in hair from deer and goat

Hair is a defining character of mammals. In the present study, the hair samples of Chital Axis axis, Sambar Deer Rusa unicolor, and goat Capra hircus were collected from the back, neck, abdomen and tail regions of carcasses brought to the forensic laboratory for necropsy examinations. Cross-sections of hair, cuticle scale, and medullary patterns were analyzed to establish indices for species identification. Keratin levels were also analyzed by protein electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). We determined that both microscopic and SDS-PAGE analysis of guard hair is useful for identifying species, particularly in forensic applications.

Pregnancy diagnosis in goats (Capra hircus) using barium chloride and progesterone-based kit in Bangladesh

The study was conducted to develop a technique for early diagnosis of pregnancy in goats from July 2016 to June 2017. About 100 goats of different age groups were randomly selected for the trial and goats were categorized under four groups according to their gestation lengths (0.5 to 1 month, >1 to 1.5 months, >1.5 to 2 months and >2 to 2.5 months). Blood from jugular vein and morning urine samples were collected from four groups and brought to the laboratory, and serum was separated from the clotted blood. Then 1%, 1.5% and 2% barium chloride solution were prepared and test was done by using 1 ml barium chloride of each concentration mixing with 1 ml of urine sample, and allowed for 5 and 10 minutes for interpretation. Presence of precipitation was interpreted as negative for pregnancy and absence of precipitation was interpreted as positive for pregnancy. For each blood sample, 3-5 drops of serum was added in each sample insertion hole of the Bovipreg kit and 5 minutes was allowed to observe the presence of one or two red line in the kit. One red line was interpreted as negative pregnancy and two red lines were interpreted as positive pregnancy. In our study 1% barium chloride, showed 93.5% accuracy, whereas 1.5% barium chloride provided 92% accuracy for the goats having 0.5 to 1 month of gestation. In case of 2% barium chloride, the highest accuracy was 91.5% for the goats having >1 to 1.5 month of gestation. Conversely, the accuracy for progesterone-based early pregnancy diagnostic kit was 96.5%. Therefore, 1% barium chloride can be utilized for the diagnosis of pregnancy in goats. Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. 2022, 8 (1), 42-46

Suppression of Potentilla recta by targeted goat grazing and aminopyralid on northern intermountain rangelands

AbstractSulphur cinquefoil (Potentilla recta L.) is an invasive perennial forb threatening rangelands in western North America. To identify best management strategies to control P. recta, we examined targeted goat (Capra hircus L.) grazing conducted once (pre-flowering) versus twice (pre-flowering and flowering and seed set), aminopyralid application, and integrated targeted grazing and aminopyralid as management strategies. We also examined the interaction between treatments and seasonality (spring and summer) and explored the possibility of off-target effects to non-target species. Two intermountain rangelands in British Columbia, Canada, were treated, one with targeted grazing treatments only and one with targeted grazing and herbicide treatments. Targeted grazing treatments were implemented in 2019 and 2020, and aminopyralid was applied once in 2019 at a rate of 56 g ai ha−1. Potentilla recta aboveground biomass and number of seed heads declined following targeted grazing treatments at both field sites in 2019 and 2020 when compared with the control, with no differences between targeted grazing treatments. In May 2020, before the implementation of targeted grazing for the second year, a decrease in P. recta biomass was not measured in the targeted grazing treatments, but biomass was 87% to 99% less in the herbicide-only and targeted grazing plus herbicide treatments. In July 2020, declines in biomass and seed heads in the herbicide-only and targeted grazing plus herbicide treatments did not differ from grazing twice, and aminopyralid effects did not differ among the three herbicide treatments. Further research is required to examine legacy effects of targeted goat grazing and aminopyralid on P. recta, establish reapplication frequency of treatments, and determine whether integrating targeted goat grazing and aminopyralid is needed in the long term to manage P. recta. A long-term study is also needed to examine off-target effects from targeted goat grazing and aminopyralid and ways to mitigate these effects to promote healthy native rangeland plant communities.

Spatial and trophic niche of an assemblage of native and non-native herbivores of arid Argentina

Abstract The coexistence of ecologically similar species is facilitated by differential use of resources along habitat, diet, and/or temporal niche axes. We used feces of non-native rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), hare (Lepus europaeus), goat (Capra hircus), and the native plains viscacha (Lagostomus maximus) to compare the utilization of spatial and trophic resources in an arid ecosystem of Argentina. We expected herbivores to present differential responses in the use of at least one of the niche axes (habitat and/or trophic) associated with seasonal changes in resource availability and according to the origin of the species (native, non-native). We evaluated habitat use and selection through Chi-squared goodness-of-fit tests and Bonferroni confidence intervals, and factors shaping habitat selection (particular components of the habitat type) using generalized linear mixed-effects models. We analyzed the seasonal compositions of diets, breadth of trophic niches, and dietary overlaps. The assemblage of herbivores did not segregate markedly in spatial resource use, showing that hares and goats were more generalist than rabbits and plains viscacha in the utilization of different habitat types. Native and non-native herbivores overlapped markedly in the trophic niche dimension but segregated to some degree in the use of space during wet and dry seasons. The four herbivores shared a similar diet composition. Among dietary items, grasses contributed high percentages during the wet season. Under conditions of resource limitation (dry season), the native plains viscacha differed in feeding strategy from the non-native herbivores. These results deepen our understanding of likely underlying mechanisms that allow coexistence of native and non-native herbivores in an arid ecosystem.

Performance of Locally Adopted Goats in Sundarbazar Municipality of Lamjung District, Nepal

Goat (Capra hircus) is a small ruminant with hollow horn that is found throughout the world. A survey (N = 60) was carried out to evaluate the performance of locally adopted goats under farmers’ management practices in Sundarbazar municipality of Lamjung district between February and August, 2017. The study focused on two breeds, Khari and Jamunaparias well as their crossbred. Individual goats’ primary data, collected using a convenient sampling technique and pretested questionnaires with open and close ended questions, were analyzed using SPSS 20 and MS Excel 2010. Results revealed significant effects of a Doe’s breed on age at first estrus (p < 0.001), age at first kidding (p < 0.001), gestation length (p < 0.001), postpartum estrus (p < 0.001), and kidding interval (p < 0.05). Age at first estrus and age at first kidding were lowest (252.3 days and 403.9 days, respectively) for Khari. Highly significant lowest kidding interval (214.7 days) and significantly shortest gestation length (148.2 days) were found for Khari. No significant effect of parity was observed on age at first estrus, age at first kidding, kidding interval, and postpartum estrus, but a significant effect (p < 0.05) was observed on gestation length with lowest values in 4th to 6th parity (149.5 days). Doe’s breed showed a significant effect on litter size at birth (p < 0.05). However, no significant effect of the breed was found on litter birth weight and litter size at weaning (p < 0.05). The results demonstrated Khari as the desirable breed for the locality.

PSVIII-2 Genetic diversity analysis of hybrid Karachaev goats (Capra hircus) population using microsatellite marker data

Abstract The Karachaev goat is an indigenous breed that possesses unique features including significantly less fat deposition in the body compared to sheep and cattle, ability to graze at an altitude of up to 1200 meters and to produce fertile hybrids with wild relatives. To understand the genetic diversity and population structure of hybrids between domestic Karachaev goats (Capra hircus) and The West Caucasian tur (Capra caucasica) 143 individuals were analyzed using 10 microsatellites panel. Sample were analyzed according to the manufacturer’s recommendations on an automatic sequencer, ABI 3130XL genetic analyzer (Applied Biosystems). Genetic diversity was calculated using GenAlEx 6.503 software. Genotyping of ten microsatellite loci in hybrid forms of Karachaev goats and turs detected 106 alleles in total. Na values ranged from five (INR063) to seventeen (SRCRSO008), averaging 10.6 alleles per locus across the 10 loci. All loci were polymorphic. The average number of alleles was 10.6 alleles per locus. This is higher than the similar indicator obtained by Kharzinova et al. (2019) in populations of Soviet wool, Tajik wool, Orenburg downy, Alpine and Zaanen dairy breeds of goats, studied using the panel of same 10 STR-markers (9.3 loci). Other key indexes of genetic diversity could be found in table 1. The values of the coefficient FIS suggest the absence of related mating in the herd. Information on genotypic variability of Karachaev goats hybrid forms obtained here will contribute into the breeding programs improvement and to preservation of existing native breeds.

Contribution to the taxonomy of human-infesting chiggers (Acariformes: Trombiculidae) in Europe

Three species of chigger mites, which are supposed to be agents of human trombiculiasis in Europe, have been studied based on museum collections and specimens collected by the authors. Trombicula toldti Winkler, 1953 has been transferred to the monotypic genus Blanciella Vercammen-Grandjean, 1960. The type species of this genus, Blanciella deschiensi (Vercammen-Grandjean, 1956), was synonymized with Blanciella toldti comb. nov., and B. toldti was re-described. Lectotype of B. toldti was designated based on the type material donated to Zoological Institute RAS (St. Petersburg, Russia). The lectotype of Kepkatrombicula desaleri (Methlagl, 1928) was found in Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (Paris, France), and the previously designated neotype of K. desaleri has been set aside. Both B. toldti and K. desaleri have been recorded for the first time in Switzerland infesting goats (Capra hircus L., 1758). Human parasitism by Neotrombicula inopinata (Oudemans, 1909) in the UK has been confirmed for the first time with an examined museum specimen.

Dodecapeptide Cathelicidins of Cetartiodactyla: Structure, Mechanism of Antimicrobial Action, and Synergistic Interaction With Other Cathelicidins.

In this study, dodecapeptide cathelicidins were shown to be widespread antimicrobial peptides among the Cetruminantia clade. In particular, we investigated the dodecapeptide from the domestic goat Capra hircus, designated as ChDode and its unique ortholog from the sperm whale Physeter catodon (PcDode). ChDode contains two cysteine residues, while PcDode consists of two dodecapeptide building blocks and contains four cysteine residues. The recombinant analogs of the peptides were obtained by heterologous expression in Escherichia coli cells. The structures of the peptides were studied by circular dichroism (CD), FTIR, and NMR spectroscopy. It was demonstrated that PcDode adopts a β-hairpin structure in water and resembles β-hairpin antimicrobial peptides, while ChDode forms a β-structural antiparallel covalent dimer, stabilized by two intermonomer disulfide bonds. Both peptides reveal a significant right-handed twist about 200 degrees per 8 residues. In DPC micelles ChDode forms flat β-structural tetramers by antiparallel non-covalent association of the dimers. The tetramers incorporate into the micelles in transmembrane orientation. Incorporation into the micelles and dimerization significantly diminished the amplitude of backbone motions of ChDode at the picosecond-nanosecond timescale. When interacting with negatively charged membranes containing phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylglycerol (PG), the ChDode peptide adopted similar oligomeric structure and was capable to form ion-conducting pores without membrane lysis. Despite modest antibacterial activity of ChDode, a considerable synergistic effect of this peptide in combination with another goat cathelicidin – the α-helical peptide ChMAP-28 was observed. This effect is based on an increase in permeability of bacterial membranes. In turn, this mechanism can lead to an increase in the efficiency of the combined action of the synergistic pair ChMAP-28 with the Pro-rich peptide mini-ChBac7.5Nα targeting the bacterial ribosome.

Birds of a feather speak together: Understanding the different dialects of animals can help to decipher their communication.

As humans, many animal species that communicate via vocalization show a wide range of accents and dialects driven by environmental and social factors.

Morpho biometric characterization of goats (capra hircus) in the city of Kindu and its hinterlands

Morpho biometric characterization of goats (capra hircus) in the city of Kindu and its hinterlands

Neoplasms of the thyroid gland in goats (Capra hircus) - A slaughterhouse based study

Neoplasms of the thyroid gland in goats (Capra hircus) - A slaughterhouse based study

The frequency of butchery marks on goat (Capra hircus) remains from pastoral Khoekhoe villages at Gobabeb, Namibia

Khoekhoe pastoralists living in Gobabeb, in the arid Kuiseb River Valley of central-western Namibia, keep goats (Capra hircus). Several decades ago, palaeontologist C.K. Brain collected modern skeletal remains of goats from these villages. The goats were butchered using pocketknives with metal blades. We investigated the frequency of butchery marks on a sub-sam- ple of this collection, representing 60% of the total assemblage. Most specimens in the collection are weathered. Moreover, most goat specimens from Gobabeb lack butchery evidence and even the use of magnification only marginally increased this number. We compared our results with the frequency of butchery marks documented from Early and Middle Iron Age samples from South Africa, a time when sheep dominated faunal assemblages and were slaughtered using metal knives. The frequency of specimens with butchery marks in the goat sample from Gobabeb is higher than that recorded for the Early and Middle Iron Age samples. The higher frequency of butchery marks on the goat remains from Gobabeb may relate to aspects such as the butchering method and style, as well as the large size of the specimens themselves.

157 Spectroscopic analysis of tissues collected from male goats differing in genetic propensity to consume juniper

Abstract Juniper (Juniperus spp.) foliage is consumed by free-ranging goats in the southwestern US. Junipers contain monoterpenes which have toxicological and pharmacological effects. We sampled 20 male Spanish goats (Capra hircus; 10 young [2-year-old] and 10 old [3-5-year-old]) from a herd selected for their propensity to consume a high (estimated breeding value [EBV] = 13.01 ± 0.20) or low (EBV = -14.76 ± 0.48) proportion of juniper in the diet to determine the ability of near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in detecting physico-chemical differences in animal tissues. Heart (ventricle; interior and exterior surfaces), liver (caudate lobe), and muscle (longissimus dorsi) samples as well as an entire kidney and testicle, were collected at harvest (n = 5 of each age [i.e. length of exposure to monoterpenes] and juniper EBV combination). Tissue samples were stored in whirl-pac bags at -20o C and later thawed to ~24o C for NIRS analysis. Spectra (400–2500 nm) were obtained with an ASD Field Spec using a contact probe directly through the whirl-pac sample bag. Principal component and partial least squares regression procedures were accomplished in SAS; P < 0.05 indicated statistical significance. Both age (RSQ, 0.2 to 0.6; P < 0.05) and juniper EBV (RSQ, 0.2 to 0.65; P < 0.05) were correlated with near infrared (NIR) spectral characteristics. Propensity to consume juniper was most strongly correlated with NIR spectra in testicular tissue (RSQ = 0.65, MSE = 0.25, P < 0.01), and least strongly correlated in the heart interior surface (RSQ = 0.21, MSE = 0.21, P < 0.05). Spectral correlations with propensity to consume juniper were stronger in tissues from old (RSQ ~ 0.68) than young (RSQ ~ 0.52) goats, especially in liver, kidney, muscle, and testicle. Physico-chemical differences in goat tissues were affected by genetic propensity to consume juniper, and these were detected by NIRS.

Caprine Bactenecins as Promising Tools for Developing New Antimicrobial and Antitumor Drugs.

Proline-rich antimicrobial peptides (PR-AMPs) having a potent antimicrobial activity predominantly toward Gram-negative bacteria and negligible toxicity toward host cells, are attracting attention as new templates for developing antibiotic drugs. We have previously isolated and characterized several bactenecins that are promising in this respect, from the leukocytes of the domestic goat Capra hircus: ChBac5, miniChBac7.5N-α, and -β, as well as ChBac3.4. Unlike the others, ChBac3.4 shows a somewhat unusual pattern of activities for a mammalian PR-AMP: it is more active against bacterial membranes as well as tumor and, to the lesser extent, normal cells. Here we describe a SAR study of ChBac3.4 (RFRLPFRRPPIRIHPPPFYPPFRRFL-NH2) which elucidates its peculiarities and evaluates its potential as a lead for antimicrobial or anticancer drugs based on this peptide. A set of designed structural analogues of ChBac3.4 was explored for antibacterial activity toward drug-resistant clinical isolates and antitumor properties. The N-terminal region was found to be important for the antimicrobial action, but not responsible for the toxicity toward mammalian cells. A shortened variant with the best selectivity index toward bacteria demonstrated a pronounced synergy in combination with antibiotics against Gram-negative strains, albeit with a somewhat reduced ability to inhibit biofilm formation compared to native peptide. C-terminal amidation was examined for some analogues, which did not affect antimicrobial activity, but somewhat altered the cytotoxicity toward host cells. Interestingly, non-amidated peptides showed a slight delay in their impact on bacterial membrane integrity. Peptides with enhanced hydrophobicity showed increased toxicity, but in most cases their selectivity toward tumor cells also improved. While most analogues lacked hemolytic properties, a ChBac3.4 variant with two additional tryptophan residues demonstrated an appreciable activity toward human erythrocytes. The variant demonstrating the best tumor/nontumor cell selectivity was found to more actively initiate apoptosis in target cells, though its action was slower than that of the native ChBac3.4. Its antitumor effectiveness was successfully verified in vivo in a murine Ehrlich ascites carcinoma model. The obtained results demonstrate the potential of structural modification to manage caprine bactenecins’ selectivity and activity spectrum and confirm that they are promising prototypes for antimicrobial and anticancer drugs design.

The expansion of the TRB and TRG genes in domestic goats (Capra hircus) is characteristic of the ruminant species

BackgroundGoats (Capra hircus), one of the first domesticated species, are economically important for milk and meat production, and their broad geographical distribution reflects their successful adaptation to diverse environmental conditions. Despite the relevance of this species, the genetic research on the goat traits is limited compared to other domestic species. Thanks to the latest goat reference genomic sequence (ARS1), which is considered to be one of the most continuous assemblies in livestock, we deduced the genomic structure of the T cell receptor beta (TRB) and gamma (TRG) loci in this ruminant species.ResultsOur analyses revealed that although the organization of the goat TRB locus is broadly similar to that of the other artiodactyl species, with three in-tandem D-J-C clusters located at the 3′ end, a complex and extensive series of duplications have occurred in the V genes at the 5′ end, leading to a marked expansion in the number of the TRBV genes. This phenomenon appears to be a feature of the ruminant lineage since similar gene expansions have also occurred in sheep and cattle.Likewise, the general organization of the goat TRG genes is typical of ruminant species studied so far, with two paralogous TRG loci, TRG1 and TRG2, located in two distinct and distant positions on the same chromosome as result of a split in the ancestral locus. Each TRG locus consists of reiterated V-J-J-C cassettes, with the goat TRG2 containing an additional cassette relative to the corresponding sheep and cattle loci.ConclusionsTaken together, these findings demonstrate that strong evolutionary pressures in the ruminant lineage have selected for the development of enlarged sets of TRB and TRG genes that contribute to a diverse T cell receptor repertoire. However, differences observed among the goat, sheep and cattle TRB and TRG genes indicate that distinct evolutionary histories, with independent expansions and/or contractions, have also affected each ruminant species.

A new tapeworm Stilesia jadhavae sp.nov.from the intestine of goat Capra hircus at Patoda tehsil of Beed district, MS, India

The present communication deals with the description of a new cestode Stilesia jadhavae sp.nov. from the intestine of goat Capra hircus at Patoda tehsil of Beed district. The examined parasites were long with scolex, immature, mature and gravid proglottids. The scolex of the worm is large, quadrangular, broad anteriorly, narrow posteriorly, distinctly marked off from the strobila; suckers are four, large in size, oval in shape, arranged in two pairs; neck short; mature segments small in size, broader than long having only one set of reproductive organs in each segment; testes 24 in number, medium, round in two lateral fields; cirrus pouch small in size, oval in shape; cirrus is thin coiled; vas deferens thin, small, coiled; ovary medium in size, bilobed; vagina thin coiled; ootype small in size, round in shape; genital pores are small in size, round in shape, regularly alternate; excretory canals narrow.

A new tapeworm Stilesia jadhavae sp.nov.from the intestine of goat Capra hircus at Patoda tehsil of Beed district, MS, India

A new tapeworm Stilesia jadhavae sp.nov.from the intestine of goat Capra hircus at Patoda tehsil of Beed district, MS, India