BACKGROUND The impact of prion proteins in the rules that dictate biological reproduction is still poorly understood. Likewise, the role of prnt gene, encoding the prion-like protein testis specific (Prt), in ram reproductive physiology remains largely unknown. In this study, we assessed the effect of Prt in ovine fertilization by using an anti-Prt antibody (APPA) in fertilization medium incuba...

Abstract The objective of this study was to use matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation–time flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) for the identification ovine-associated staphylococci. Presumptive Staphylococcus isolates were recovered from ovine udder surface (US), individual raw milk, bulk tank and cheese samples characterised by conventional phenotypic methods. A total 69 bacterial fu...

Materials and Methods Haemoprotozoan infections are very common in cattle and cause devastating losses to the livestock industry and pose a major threat to the dairy industry throughout the world [1]. Most of the haemoprotozoan parasites are transmitted by ticks and is of great economic importance in Asia and has always been a formidable barrier to the survival of exotic and cross bred cattle i...

This study was aimed to determine the infection rate and vectors of Theileria lestoquardi in goats from West Azerbaijan province, Iran. A total of 400 blood samples were collected from 40 randomly selected flocks in the study area from June to September, 2014. Out of 400 blood samples examined using microscopic examination, a number of 14 goats (3.50%) were positive for Theileria spp., whereas ...

The beta subunit of follicle stimulating hormone (FSHB) is expressed specifically in pituitary gonadotropes in vertebrates. Transgenic mouse studies have shown that enhancers in the proximal promoter between -172/-1 bp of the ovine FSHB gene are required for gonadotrope expression of ovine FSHB. These enhancers are associated with regulation by activins and gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH)...

A clone of the extracellular domain of the rat liver prolactin receptor was generated by the RNA-based polymerase chain reaction, and the NH2-terminal 210 amino acids were expressed in HeLa cells using a vaccinia virus/T7 hybrid expression system. The protein was isolated from serum-free culture medium directly by chromatography on an ovine prolactin affinity column and yielded approximately 1....

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) on survival, activation and growth of ovine primordial follicles using histological studies. Pieces of ovine ovarian cortex were obtained and cultured for 6 days in Minimum Essential Medium supplemented with or without FSH (50 ng/mL). These fragments were then process to be used for histology compar...

Pasteurella multocida isa gram-negative bacterial pathogen that is causative agent of a wide range of diseases in many animal species and humans. Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are an important virulence factor, minor changes to structure of which can exert dramatic effects on pathogenicity of P. multocida in its host. LPS can be used for the identification and classification of strains with somatic...

The oocyte-secreted polypeptide growth factors, growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) and bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15, also known as GDF9B) have both been shown to be essential for ovarian follicular development and ovulation rate. In addition, it is known from both in vivo and in vitro studies that these factors co-operate in some manner. To date, most studies examining the in vitro ...