Transcriptome analysis in Indian buffalo and the genetics of innate immunity

印度是世界上近一半驯养水牛的家园。水牛被用作生鲜、肉类和乳用动物。他们的粪便被用作肥料，干燥后也被用作燃料。在家畜中，水牛奶的水分含量最低，脂肪含量最高，而乳脂是烹饪用酥油的主要来源。一些主要的水牛品种已经培育出来，但对它们的抗病能力的系统研究相对较少。印度的水牛种群受到各种疾病的困扰，这些疾病具有相当大的死亡率和发病率，对小农的生计产生了巨大影响，在许多情况下也是人畜共患病。其中一些对牛和水牛的影响一样大，另一些如巴氏杆菌病，导致水牛死亡的可能性远远大于对牛的影响。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。据估计，这些疾病在成年动物中的比例至少为10%，在一些村庄中的比例要高得多。它们是与它们有密切关系的人畜共患人畜共患传染病的重要来源。在可能的情况下，在出现重大疫情的情况下，我们也会机会性地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)和钩端螺旋体病(通常是季节性的)、泰勒氏菌和口蹄疫。在每一种情况下，我们都将收集DNA，我们将寻求了解为什么一些动物被感染，另一些动物具有抗药性。印度有几个主要的水牛品种，但我们对它们的遗传多样性知之甚少。该项目的第二个重点是了解这些品种之间的差异。最后，基于来自小鼠、人类和猪的最新数据，以及一个平行的绵羊Roslin项目，我们提议为水牛创建一个基因表达图谱。这将涉及从幼年成年动物身上收集各种组织。这些信息将为理解遗传多样性如何导致不同品种和不同动物之间的传染病抵抗力差异的努力奠定基础。该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让；这是双向的，因为相关疾病在英国也具有重要的经济意义。

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.