• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.292-299
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• 2019

Interferon tau (IFNT) regulation, an anti-luteolytic factor produced by conceptuses of the ruminant ungulates, is essential for the maintenance of early pregnancy, but a definitive mechanism for its temporal transcription has not been elucidated. We and others have observed the T-box protein eomesodermin (EOMES) exhibited high mRNA expression in the ovine embryonic trophectoderm; thus, both caudal-relatedhomeobox-2 (CDX2) and EOMES coexist during the early stages of conceptus development. Objective of this study was to examine the effect of EOMES on ovine IFNT gene transcription when evaluated with CDX2, ETS2 and AP1 transcription factors implicated in the control of cell differentiation in the trophectoderm. In this study, quantitatively via reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis between ovine trophoblast cells was initially performed, finding that transcription factors CDX2 and 'EOMES transcription factor mRNAs' were specific to trophectoderm cells. These mRNAs were also found in days 15, 17, and 21 ovine conceptuses. Furthermore, human choriocarcinoma JEG3 cells (trophoblast cell line) were cotransfected with an ovine IFNT (-654bp)-luciferase reporter (-654-oIFNT-Luc) construct and several transcription factor expression plasmids. Cotransfection of the reporter construct with CDX2, ETS2 and AP1 increased transcription of -654-oIFNT-Luc by about 11-fold compared with transfection of the construct alone. When cells were initially transfected with EOMES followed by transfection with CDX2, ETS2 and/or AP1, the expression of -654-oIFNT-Luc was decreased. Also, EOMES factor inhibited the stimulatory activity of CDX2 alone. These results suggest that when conceptuses attach to the uterine epithelium, ovine IFNT gene transcription is down-regulated by an increase of EOMES factor expression in the attached ovine trophoblast cells.

• BMB Reports
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.502-505
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• 1999

cDNA fragments of ovine liver pyridoxal kinase were amplified by PCR using degenerate oligonucleotide primers derived from partial amino acids sequences of the enzyme. Using PCR products as probes, several overlapping cDNA clones were isolated independently from an ovine liver and a human brain cDNA library. The largest cDNA clone for each was selected for sequence analysis. The ovine liver cDNA encodes a polypeptide of 297 amino acid residues with Mr of 32,925, whereas the human clone is comprised of an open reading frame encoding 312 amino acid residues with Mr of 35,102. The deduced sequence of the human brain enzyme is completely identical to that of human testes cDNA recently reported (Hanna et al., 1997). The ovine enzymes have approximately 77% sequence identity with the human enzyme although the two sequences are completely different in the N-terminus comprising 32 residues. This result suggests that pyridoxal kinase is highly homologous in mammalian species.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.326-332
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• 2010

Daidzein, a natural isoflavonoid phytoestrogen, structurally resembles estradiol (E2) and possesses estrogenic activity. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that daidzein may mimic the effects of E2 on ovine follicle development by regulation of the mRNA expression of bone morphogenetic protein receptor genes and thereby influence the reproductive system. Granulosa cells were cultured in serum-free McCoy's 5A medium with and without supplementation of daidzein. Results showed that daidzein (10-100 ng/ml) significantly increased the proliferation of ovine granulosa cells (p<0.05), but inhibited the growth of granulosa cells at a dose of 1,000 ng/ml (p<0.01). Daidzein inhibited progesterone production in a dose dependent manner; however, it did not affect estradiol production by granulosa cells. We also investigated the effects of daidzein on BMPRII, BMPRIB and ALK-5 mRNA expression in ovine granulosa cells by quantitative real-time PCR. Treatment of granulosa cells with daidzein increased significantly expression of these genes at 10-100 ng/ml. Thus, these data suggested that a low concentration of daidzein (10-100 ng/ml) had a direct stimulatory effect on ovine granulosa cells while a high concentration was toxic.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2013

The obligatory intracellular protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is a major world wide cause of infectious ovine abortion. In some different diagnostic techniques that are being used to detect this pathogen in ovine fetuses, immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a very sensitive and expensive one. Histopathology is not truly a specific and sensitive test for Toxoplasma infection but it can be helpful to choose some suspected tissues for IHC. In this study 9.5% of 200 samples (aborted ovine fetuses internal organs such as brain, liver, heart, lung, kidney, spleen) (4.6~14.4% with 95% CI) were positive in IHC with a very good logical agreement among different diagnostic techniques (${\kappa}=0.73$, 0.8) and with no significant difference among different fetal age groups (p > 0.05).

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.393-405
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• 2005

In prion pathogenesis, the structural conversion of the cellular prion protein $(PrP^c)$ to its abnormal isomer $(PrP^{Sc})$ is believed to be a major event. The susceptibility or resistance to natural sheep scrapie is associated with polymorphisms of host PrP gene (PRNP) at amino acid residues 136, to a lesser extent 154. The 112 residue in ovine PrP displays a natural polymorphism, Methionine to Threonine, which has not been thoroughly investigated. However the cell-free conversion assay showed that ARQ with Thr112 $(T_{112}ARQ)^{1)}$ presents lower convertibility to $PrP^{Sc}$than wild type ARQ $(M_{112}ARQ)$ [1] In this study we generated ovine recombinant PrPs of 112 allelic variants by metal chelate affinity chromatography and cation exchange chromatography. The final purity of the ovine PrP ARQ was more than $95\%$. These variants showed similar immunoreactivity against anti-PrP monoclonal antibodies in Western blot and ELISA. The refolded $M_{112}ARQ$ and $M_{112}ARQ$ presented the secondary structural content to similar extent via CD spectroscopy analysis. The inherited structural features of $M_{112}ARQ$ and $M_{112}ARQ$ under the different biophysical conditions are in the middle of investigation.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.456-464
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• 2010

RNA interference (RNAi) is an acknowledged useful and effective tool to study gene function in various cells. Here, we suppressed the Connexin 43 (Cx 43) gene expression during in vitro development of ovine pre-implantation embryos using the RNAi method. The 353 bp Cx 43 double-stranded RNA was microinjected into in vitro fertilized ovine zygotes, and the levels of target mRNA and protein were investigated. Control groups included uninjected zygotes or those injected with RNase-free water. The dsRNA injection resulted in the specific reduction of Cx 43 transcripts as analyzed by quantitative real-time RT-PCR and decreased protein levels as shown by Western blot analysis at the blastocyst stage. Microinjection of Cx 43 dsRNA led to 20.3%, 21.7% and 34.5% blastocyst rates and 19.2%, 37.5% and 41.3% hatched blastocyst rates in Cx 43 dsRNA-injected, water-injected and uninjected groups, respectively. Then the RNAi could not significantly affect cell number and cell death rates of blastocysts. Therefore, suppression of Cx 43 dsRNA and proteins did not apparently affect the development potential of ovine pre-implantation embryos but may play a role in embryo quality. RNAi technology is a promising approach to study gene function in early ovine embryogenesis.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.15-20
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• 2016

Toxoplasmosis is an important zoonotic disease that can cause abortion in humans and animals. The aim of this study was isolation and subsequent genotyping of Toxoplasma gondii isolates in ovine aborted fetuses. During 2012-2013, 39 ovine aborted fetuses were collected from sheep flocks in Khorasan Razavi Province, Iran. The brain samples were screened for detection of the parasite DNA by nested PCR. The positive brain samples were bioassayed in Webster Swiss mice. The serum samples of mice were examined for T. gondii antibodies by IFAT at 6 weeks post inoculation, and T. gondii cysts were searched in brain tissue samples of seropositive mice. The positive samples were genotyped by using a PCR-RLFP method. Subsequently, GRA6 sequences of isolates were analyzed using a phylogenetic method. The results revealed that T. gondii DNA was detected in 54% (20/37, 95% CI 38.4-69.0%) brain samples of ovine aborted fetuses. In bioassay of mice, only 2 samples were virulent and the mice were killed at 30 days post inoculation, while the others were non-virulent to mice. The size of cysts ranged $7-22{\mu}m$. Complete genotyping data for GRA6 locus were observed in 5 of the 20 samples. PCR-RLFP results and phylogenetic analysis revealed that all of the isolated samples were closely related to type I. For the first time, we could genotype and report T. gondii isolates from ovine aborted fetuses in Khorasan Razavi Province, Iran. The results indicate that the T. gondii isolates are genetically related to type I, although most of them were non-virulent for mice.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.11
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• pp.1566-1573
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• 2009

Trans-10, cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been reported to inhibit the adipocyte differentiation of preadipocytes in non-ruminant animals (mice, rat, and human). However, the effects of trans-10, cis-12 CLA have not been clear in ruminants. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of trans-10, cis-12 CLA on adipocyte differentiation of ovine preadipocytes. Differentiation of these preadipocytes was facilitated by treatment with trans-10, cis-12 CLA. Trans-10, cis-12 CLA increased the number and size of oil red O-stainable lipid drops as well as the levels of GPDH activity. PPAR-$\gamma{2}$ and adipophilin mRNA, adipogenic marker genes, were increased by treatment with trans-10, cis-12 CLA. This result was different from that observed with 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, a clonal cell line derived from rodents. Furthermore, trans-10, cis-12 CLA alone induced the adipocyte differentiation of ovine preadipocytes in differentiation-induction medium without troglitazone. These results suggest that CLA is an inducer and regulator in adipocyte differentiation of ovine preadipocytes, with species differences between ovine and rodent preadipocytes.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Pathology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.7-9
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• 2002

Case 1 was showed severe caughing and nasal discharge, who was one of 5-month-old 18 male sheep taking inspection for MCF experiment. Pathological examination of case 1 was conducted. Macroscopic observations were the foamy sticky fluids in nasal and tracheal cavity, the grey spots with 2-4 mm diameter on the surface of lung. Histopathological observations were severe eosinophil and other round cell infiltration in general organs including lung, trachea, small intestine, large intestine, liver. Also, in the lung, there were parasite-cutting lesions in some alveolar spaces and bronchioles. Following these observations, case 1 was diagnosed as ovine lungworm infection.

• Journal of the korean veterinary medical association
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.79-88
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• 1980

Ovine squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC) is a naturally occurring malignant tumour, being considered due to solar radiation. The literature on OSCC is reviewed, pertaining to the following five aspects of the disease; aetiology, tumour development, geographica