A recent comprehensive genomic analysis based on 50K SNP profiles has shown that the regional Bal... more A recent comprehensive genomic analysis based on 50K SNP profiles has shown that the regional Balkan sheep populations have considerable genetic overlap but are distinctly different from surrounding breeds. All eight Croatian sheep breeds were represented by a small number of individuals per breed. Here, we genotyped 220 individuals representing the native Croatian sheep breeds (Istrian Sheep, Krk Island Sheep, Cres Island Sheep, Rab Island Sheep, Lika Pramenka, Pag Island Sheep, Dalmatian Pramenka, Dubrovnik Sheep) and mouflon using the Ovine Infinium® HD SNP BeadChip (606,006 SNPs). In addition, we included publicly available Balkan Pramenka and other Mediterranean sheep breeds. Our analyses revealed the complex population structure of Croatian sheep breeds and their origin and geographic barriers (island versus mainland). Migration patterns confirmed the historical establishment of breeds and the pathways of gene flow. Inbreeding coefficients (FROH>2 Mb) between sheep populati...
The aim of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for coat color in horses. Besides defini... more The aim of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for coat color in horses. Besides defining coat color classes (gray, chestnut, bay, and black), the phenotypes were also measured quantitatively according to standardized international procedures (Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage L*, a*, b*), where L* describes lightness, a* describes color saturation from red to green, and b* describes color saturation from yellow to blue. The total color saturation was derived from a* and b* and referred to as Chroma. A total of 294 horses from the breeds Lipizzan, Nonius, Arabian Pure Bred, Shagya Arabian, and Gidran were measured at neck, shoulder, and belly. Heritabilities (within and between breeds or color classes) and repeatabilities were estimated using REML from univariate animal models defined separately for gray and nongray horses. For gray horses, the estimated within-breed heritabilities for L* ranged from 0.45 to 0.49 and for a*, b*, and Chroma from 0.09 to 0.52, indicating moderate polygenic effect. For nongray horses, between-color class heritabilities were high (0.70 to 0.85) and within-color class heritabilities were negligible (except for L* measured on neck and belly, 0.21 and 0.34, respectively). Additionally, the importance of L* was described by the relation with the total melanin content of horse coat hair; for gray and nongray horses, a strong negative linear relationship was detected (P < 0.01). The spectrometric measures and the results of this study demonstrate a possible approach to the estimation of the polygenic component involved in coat color inheritance.
Abstract: On the Croatian part of Adriatic Sea (coastal part and islands), currently is being bre... more Abstract: On the Croatian part of Adriatic Sea (coastal part and islands), currently is being bred more that 300 000 sheep. Despite its regional specificities and variability, detailed genetic analysis of autochthonous sheep populations in Croatia has been not carried out ...
Estimation of variance components for a quantitative trait is very difficult when genetic interac... more Estimation of variance components for a quantitative trait is very difficult when genetic interactions between loci can not be neglected. The presence of interactions, even among few loci, very soon becomes extremely complicated due to the large number of possible combinations. Here, we presented development of variances components in the simplest model that includes epistatic effects (two locus bi-allelic model) for a population that is in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The presented formulas enable three dimension graphical presentations of all variance components (including additive by additive, additive by dominance and dominance by dominance variances) under different models for all possible gene frequencies and can be used in scholastic purposes. Further, these formulas are also suitable for Monte Carlo based studies related to deviations of the observed from theoretical values (for example the effects of inbreeding on epistatic variances) as well as for further developments in segregation analyses related to two loci models and epistatic effects.
The spread of farming into the Northern Mediterranean was frequently analysed through maternal an... more The spread of farming into the Northern Mediterranean was frequently analysed through maternal and paternal DNA lineages of humans and domestic animals, as an important topic for understanding the Neolitic agricultural revolution. We analyzed mitochondrial DNA (partly control region and 12S rRNA coding region and fully tRNAPhe) and specifi c Y chromosome (microsatellite SRYM18 and SNP AY604734.2:g.67A>G) polymorphisms of 159 domestic sheep (9 breeds) and 21 moufl on (Ovis musimon) rams sampled from Eastern Adriatic, all along Croatian cost. Maternal and paternal lineages for, both, sheep and moufl on rams indicated ancestral homogeneity, with extensive variation around most frequent haplotypes. We indentifi ed 70 mtDNA haplotypes, including one new present only in moufl ons, and fi ve Y chromosome haplotypes, including H18 here described for the fi rst time (SRYM18 with 135). The large number of sheep (96.9%) and moufl on (100%) rams had haplotypes classifi ed in mtDNA haplogroup B. More precisely, there was 26.4% of sheep rams with H3 haplotype while 37.1%, 20.8% and 7.6% of rams had haplotypes that were one, two and three mutations remote, respectively. The remaining fi ve sheep rams had haplotypes classifi ed in mtDNA haplogroup A. Similarly, 89.3% of sheep and 100% of moufl on rams had Y chromosome haplotype H6 while seven, fi ve, three and two rams had haplotypes H8, H18, H7 and H5, respectively. Our study shows that present sheep populations of Eastern Adriatic, with exception of several rams that are indicating remote origin, are homogenous and belong to the lineages characteristic for European sheep populations.
Equine melanomas occur most commonly in grey horses at age 5 years or more. Generally, benign and... more Equine melanomas occur most commonly in grey horses at age 5 years or more. Generally, benign and malignant melanomas are distinguished by microscopy, but a more distinct classification would be helpful. The objectives of this study were to gain further evidence concerning the occurrence of melanotic tumours, and to evaluate the impact of heredity on melanoma development. A clinical study was conducted on a defined population of 296 grey horses of Lipizzaner breed. Individuals were classified according to their stage of disease using a 0-5 scale. Heritability was estimated on a sample of 296 grey horses with pedigrees traced back as far as 32 generations. Of the 296 horses, dermal melanomas were present in 148 horses (50%), 68 of which were more than age 15 years; 51 of these were melanoma-bearing. In 75.6% of cases, melanotic tumours were detected underneath the tail. Although melanoma-bearing grey horses were encountered up to stage 4, none of the affected individuals suffered any severe clinical effect or was handicapped in performance. Statistical analysis revealed highly significant effects of stud and age (P < 0.0001), explaining 28% of the total variability. In contrast to melanomas in solid-coloured horses characterised by early metastases, melanomas in grey horses showed less malignancy. Affected individuals often had encapsulated nodules or structures similar to human blue nevi. Grey horse-specific genetic factors inhibiting metastatic processes may be responsible for this phenomenon. Although the obtained heritability estimate of 0.36 with a standard error of 0.11 indicates a strong genetic impact on the development of melanoma in ageing grey horses, a possible influence of the genes with large effects was also suggested. Therefore, further analysis is required of melanoma development in the ageing grey horse.
It is well known that cheese yield and quality are affected by animal genetics, milk quality (che... more It is well known that cheese yield and quality are affected by animal genetics, milk quality (chemical, physical, and microbiological), production technology, and the type of rennet and dairy cultures used in production. Major differences in the same type of cheese (i.e., hard cheese) are caused by the rennet and dairy cultures, which affect the ripening process. This review aims to explore current technological advancements in animal genetics, methods for the isolation and production of rennet and dairy cultures, along with possible applications of microencapsulation in rennet and dairy culture production, as well as the challenge posed to current dairy technologies by the preservation of biodiversity. Based on the reviewed scientific literature, it can be concluded that innovative approaches and the described techniques can significantly improve cheese production.
A recent comprehensive genomic analysis based on 50K SNP profiles has shown that the regional Bal... more A recent comprehensive genomic analysis based on 50K SNP profiles has shown that the regional Balkan sheep populations have considerable genetic overlap but are distinctly different from surrounding breeds. All eight Croatian sheep breeds were represented by a small number of individuals per breed. Here, we genotyped 220 individuals representing the native Croatian sheep breeds (Istrian Sheep, Krk Island Sheep, Cres Island Sheep, Rab Island Sheep, Lika Pramenka, Pag Island Sheep, Dalmatian Pramenka, Dubrovnik Sheep) and mouflon using the Ovine Infinium® HD SNP BeadChip (606,006 SNPs). In addition, we included publicly available Balkan Pramenka and other Mediterranean sheep breeds. Our analyses revealed the complex population structure of Croatian sheep breeds and their origin and geographic barriers (island versus mainland). Migration patterns confirmed the historical establishment of breeds and the pathways of gene flow. Inbreeding coefficients (FROH>2 Mb) between sheep populati...
The aim of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for coat color in horses. Besides defini... more The aim of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for coat color in horses. Besides defining coat color classes (gray, chestnut, bay, and black), the phenotypes were also measured quantitatively according to standardized international procedures (Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage L*, a*, b*), where L* describes lightness, a* describes color saturation from red to green, and b* describes color saturation from yellow to blue. The total color saturation was derived from a* and b* and referred to as Chroma. A total of 294 horses from the breeds Lipizzan, Nonius, Arabian Pure Bred, Shagya Arabian, and Gidran were measured at neck, shoulder, and belly. Heritabilities (within and between breeds or color classes) and repeatabilities were estimated using REML from univariate animal models defined separately for gray and nongray horses. For gray horses, the estimated within-breed heritabilities for L* ranged from 0.45 to 0.49 and for a*, b*, and Chroma from 0.09 to 0.52, indicating moderate polygenic effect. For nongray horses, between-color class heritabilities were high (0.70 to 0.85) and within-color class heritabilities were negligible (except for L* measured on neck and belly, 0.21 and 0.34, respectively). Additionally, the importance of L* was described by the relation with the total melanin content of horse coat hair; for gray and nongray horses, a strong negative linear relationship was detected (P < 0.01). The spectrometric measures and the results of this study demonstrate a possible approach to the estimation of the polygenic component involved in coat color inheritance.
Abstract: On the Croatian part of Adriatic Sea (coastal part and islands), currently is being bre... more Abstract: On the Croatian part of Adriatic Sea (coastal part and islands), currently is being bred more that 300 000 sheep. Despite its regional specificities and variability, detailed genetic analysis of autochthonous sheep populations in Croatia has been not carried out ...
Estimation of variance components for a quantitative trait is very difficult when genetic interac... more Estimation of variance components for a quantitative trait is very difficult when genetic interactions between loci can not be neglected. The presence of interactions, even among few loci, very soon becomes extremely complicated due to the large number of possible combinations. Here, we presented development of variances components in the simplest model that includes epistatic effects (two locus bi-allelic model) for a population that is in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The presented formulas enable three dimension graphical presentations of all variance components (including additive by additive, additive by dominance and dominance by dominance variances) under different models for all possible gene frequencies and can be used in scholastic purposes. Further, these formulas are also suitable for Monte Carlo based studies related to deviations of the observed from theoretical values (for example the effects of inbreeding on epistatic variances) as well as for further developments in segregation analyses related to two loci models and epistatic effects.
The spread of farming into the Northern Mediterranean was frequently analysed through maternal an... more The spread of farming into the Northern Mediterranean was frequently analysed through maternal and paternal DNA lineages of humans and domestic animals, as an important topic for understanding the Neolitic agricultural revolution. We analyzed mitochondrial DNA (partly control region and 12S rRNA coding region and fully tRNAPhe) and specifi c Y chromosome (microsatellite SRYM18 and SNP AY604734.2:g.67A>G) polymorphisms of 159 domestic sheep (9 breeds) and 21 moufl on (Ovis musimon) rams sampled from Eastern Adriatic, all along Croatian cost. Maternal and paternal lineages for, both, sheep and moufl on rams indicated ancestral homogeneity, with extensive variation around most frequent haplotypes. We indentifi ed 70 mtDNA haplotypes, including one new present only in moufl ons, and fi ve Y chromosome haplotypes, including H18 here described for the fi rst time (SRYM18 with 135). The large number of sheep (96.9%) and moufl on (100%) rams had haplotypes classifi ed in mtDNA haplogroup B. More precisely, there was 26.4% of sheep rams with H3 haplotype while 37.1%, 20.8% and 7.6% of rams had haplotypes that were one, two and three mutations remote, respectively. The remaining fi ve sheep rams had haplotypes classifi ed in mtDNA haplogroup A. Similarly, 89.3% of sheep and 100% of moufl on rams had Y chromosome haplotype H6 while seven, fi ve, three and two rams had haplotypes H8, H18, H7 and H5, respectively. Our study shows that present sheep populations of Eastern Adriatic, with exception of several rams that are indicating remote origin, are homogenous and belong to the lineages characteristic for European sheep populations.
Equine melanomas occur most commonly in grey horses at age 5 years or more. Generally, benign and... more Equine melanomas occur most commonly in grey horses at age 5 years or more. Generally, benign and malignant melanomas are distinguished by microscopy, but a more distinct classification would be helpful. The objectives of this study were to gain further evidence concerning the occurrence of melanotic tumours, and to evaluate the impact of heredity on melanoma development. A clinical study was conducted on a defined population of 296 grey horses of Lipizzaner breed. Individuals were classified according to their stage of disease using a 0-5 scale. Heritability was estimated on a sample of 296 grey horses with pedigrees traced back as far as 32 generations. Of the 296 horses, dermal melanomas were present in 148 horses (50%), 68 of which were more than age 15 years; 51 of these were melanoma-bearing. In 75.6% of cases, melanotic tumours were detected underneath the tail. Although melanoma-bearing grey horses were encountered up to stage 4, none of the affected individuals suffered any severe clinical effect or was handicapped in performance. Statistical analysis revealed highly significant effects of stud and age (P < 0.0001), explaining 28% of the total variability. In contrast to melanomas in solid-coloured horses characterised by early metastases, melanomas in grey horses showed less malignancy. Affected individuals often had encapsulated nodules or structures similar to human blue nevi. Grey horse-specific genetic factors inhibiting metastatic processes may be responsible for this phenomenon. Although the obtained heritability estimate of 0.36 with a standard error of 0.11 indicates a strong genetic impact on the development of melanoma in ageing grey horses, a possible influence of the genes with large effects was also suggested. Therefore, further analysis is required of melanoma development in the ageing grey horse.
It is well known that cheese yield and quality are affected by animal genetics, milk quality (che... more It is well known that cheese yield and quality are affected by animal genetics, milk quality (chemical, physical, and microbiological), production technology, and the type of rennet and dairy cultures used in production. Major differences in the same type of cheese (i.e., hard cheese) are caused by the rennet and dairy cultures, which affect the ripening process. This review aims to explore current technological advancements in animal genetics, methods for the isolation and production of rennet and dairy cultures, along with possible applications of microencapsulation in rennet and dairy culture production, as well as the challenge posed to current dairy technologies by the preservation of biodiversity. Based on the reviewed scientific literature, it can be concluded that innovative approaches and the described techniques can significantly improve cheese production.
Uploads
Papers by Ino Curik