Transcriptome analysis in Indian buffalo and the genetics of innate immunity

印度是世界上几乎一半的驯养水牛的家园。水牛被用作役畜、肉类和奶制品。它们的粪便可以用作肥料，干燥后可以用作燃料。在农场动物中，水牛奶的含水量最低，脂肪含量最高，乳脂是烹饪中使用的酥油的主要来源。已经产生了许多主要的水牛品种，但对它们的抗病能力进行的系统研究相对较少。印度水牛种群受到各种疾病的影响，死亡率和发病率很高，对小农的生计造成巨大影响，在许多情况下也是人畜共患疾病。其中一些疾病对牛和水牛的影响是一样的，而其他疾病，如巴氏杆菌病，对水牛造成死亡的可能性远远大于对牛造成的死亡。为了了解疾病易感性的分子基础，并建立水牛改良的能力，我们提出了一个三管齐下的项目。我们将对水牛的两种主要疾病：结核病和布鲁氏菌病进行调查。这两种疾病在成年动物中所占的比例估计至少为10%，在一些村庄则要高得多。它们是与它们近距离接触的人类人畜共患感染的重要来源。在可能的情况下，并且在重大暴发的情况下，我们还将对动物进行其他常见病原体的筛查，如巴氏杆菌（出血性败血症）、黑四分之一（绿纹虫）和钩端螺旋体病（往往是季节性的）、它们的大肠杆菌和口蹄疫。在每种情况下，我们都会收集DNA，并试图了解为什么有些动物被感染，而另一些动物具有耐药性。印度有几个主要的水牛品种，但我们对它们的基因多样性知之甚少。该项目的第二个重点是了解这些品种之间的差异。最后，基于最近从老鼠、人类和猪身上获得的数据，以及一个关于绵羊的平行罗斯林项目，我们建议为水牛创建一个基因表达图谱。这将涉及从年轻的成年动物身上收集广泛的组织。这一信息将为了解遗传多样性如何导致品种之间和动物之间的传染病抗性差异的努力提供基础。这个项目的一个重要成果将是英国和印度之间分子遗传技能和知识的转移；因为我们感兴趣的疾病在英国经济上也很重要。

India is home to almost half of the world's domesticated water buffalo. Buffalo are used as draft, meat, and dairy animals. Their dung is used as a fertilizer, and as a fuel when dried. Buffalo milk has the lowest water content and highest fat content amongst farm animals, and the butterfat is a major source of ghee used in cooking. A number of major breeds of buffalo have been generated, but there has been relatively little systematic study of their disease resistance. The buffalo population of India is afflicted by a wide range of diseases with substantial mortality and morbidity, which have a massive impact on small holders' livelihoods and in many cases are also zoonotic. Some of these afflict cattle and buffalo equally, others such as pasteurellosis, are far more likely to cause death to buffalo than to cattle. In order to understand the molecular basis of disease susceptibility, and to build capacity for buffalo improvement, we propose a three-pronged project. We will carry out a survey of two major diseases of buffalo: tuberculosis and brucellosis. These diseases are both present at estimated percentages of at least 10% in adult animals and substantially greater in some villages. They represent significant sources of zoonotic infections of humans with whom they share close quarters. Where possible, and opportunistically in the case of significant outbreaks, we will also screen animals for other common pathogens such as pasteurella (haemorhagic septiceamia) black quarter (chlostridia) and leptospirosis, which tend to be seasonal, theileria spp and FMDV. In every case, we will collect DNA and we will seek to understand why some animals are infected and others are resistant. There are several major breeds of buffalo in India, but we know little of their genetic diversity. A second focus of the project is to understand how these breeds differ from each other. Finally, and building upon recent data from mouse, human and pig, and a parallel Roslin project on sheep, we proposed to create a gene expression atlas for the water buffalo. This will involve collection of a wide range of tissues from young adult animals. This information will underpin efforts to understand how genetic diversity leads to differences in infectious disease resistance between breeds and between animals. An important outcome of this project will be the transfer of molecular genetic skills and knowledge between the UK and India; in both directions because the diseases of interest are also economically important in the UK.