Equine piroplasmosis caused by Theileria equi is a febrile, tick-borne disease of equids. However, there is limited literature about the genotyping of T. equi in India. Blood samples were collected from 202 horses and subjected to microscopy and PCR to detect T. equi. Initially, a universal screening primer pair targeting 18S ribosomal RNA genes common for Babesia caballi and T. equi was employed to amplify the DNA of both parasites. Thereafter additional primers were employed for species-specific detection resulting in amplification of approximately 435 bp specific for T. equi. T.equi was detected in 9.9% and 20.79% of horses screened by microscopy and PCR, respectively. The representative samples confirmed positive by PCR were sequenced, submitted to NCBI (OR651254, OR687254, OR685656, OR650830, OR650834), and used for genotype characterization and phylogenetic analysis. Employing Genetool and MEGA X software, the T. equi Indian isolates and across the globe were compared, and the results demonstrated 99.05-100% and 95.86-100% homologies, respectively. All the T. equi Indian isolates belonged to genotype A. Phylogeny based on the EMA-1 gene of five isolates (OR731831, OR731833, OR731829, OR731830, OR731832) were also characterized by sequencing and support the previous findings. Genotypes C and D, as well as genotypes B and E, exhibited lower levels of evolutionary divergence compared to other genotypes. The EMA-1 gene exhibited limited diversity and might not be the most suitable target for assessing variability within T. equi populations. The findings also reveal a significant association (p < 0.01) between T. equi infection and the presence of ticks.

Sika deer is indigenous to East Asia. Currently the species is extinct or are nearing the verge of extinction, in numerous places. Reduced population size is sensitive to climate change and has poor adaptation as a result of inbreeding. In this study genome-wide Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified using double-digest restriction site associated digestion (ddRAD) approach and annotated further to identify genes related to fitness. A total 85,001 SNPs were retained following the quality control. Composite Likelihood Ratio (CLR) statistics found 13 stronger selective sweeps, identified sweeps overlapped with genes related to adaptation, reproduction, cellular functions. Average heterozygosity and nucleotide diversity were 0.27 and 0.29 respectively. Admixture analysis furnished a single cluster indicating no further sub-divergence of Sika deer. These findings would help fabricate appropriate genetic improvement programs by inclusion in the SNP chips, in order to get deeper insights into deer genetics, evolution, domestication and conservation. Graphical Abstract Bioinformatic analysis for unravelling genomic variants and selective sweep regions in Cervus nippon

The year 2022 paid a bicentennial tribute to the phenomenal work of the father of Genetics, Gregor Johann Mendel for deciphering the genetic logic behind the phenotypes. His principles were distilled as the law of segregation and law of independent assortment. His work was rediscovered 34 yr later by H. De Vries, C. Correns, and E. Tschermak and popularized by W. Bateson. While C. Darwin accounted for similarities among organisms through the differences in the form of evolution, G. Mendel accounted for similarities through heredity; the ideological gaps were bridged mathematically by R. Fisher. Later with the test of time, the interaction among researchers paved Mendelian principles into different branches of genetics viz., cytogenetics, molecular genetics, population genetics, quantitative genetics, etc. At present we have landed in the era of genomics and the emerging field of phenomics which have potential to bridge the huge gap between demand and supply in different agro-industrial and allied goods. The need to connect the budding researchers in the field of genetics with Mendelism and its significance, catalyzed our concentrated effort to link Mendelism across the centuries, highlighting its importance and extrapolating the concept of heredity and variation from garden peas to different life forms. In conclusion, as our knowledge on genetics deepens, more insights on underlying mechanisms and subsequent applications will be witnessed.

Diversity serves as the foundation for breeding and evolution. In the science of genomics, the investigation of genetic variation has long been a prominent subject. Researchers now have access to previously unheard volumes of data, thanks to the development of new genomic technologies which allow them to thoroughly examine the complexity of genetic variation. As a result, new definitions and measurements of diversity have been created, taking into consideration things like how genetic variation is distributed throughout populations, the impact of natural selection, and the connection between genetic and phenotypic diversity. One crucial idea is "genetic ancestry" which describes the percentage of a person's genetic composition that may be linked to particular ancestral populations. Heterozygosity, which measures the degree of genetic variation within a population, is another crucial indicator of diversity. Recent developments in genomics have resulted in the creation of new tools and methodologies for examining the complexity of genetic variation in addition to these conventional diversity measurements. Generally, the area of diversity research is rapidly changing in the genomics age, with new theories and measures being created on a regular basis. The origins and effects of genetic variation are expected to continue to be revealed as our knowledge of genetic diversity deepens, with substantial ramifications for human health, evolutionary biology, and a variety of other domains.

The peculiarity of Indian cattle lies in milk quality, resistance to diseases and stressors as well as adaptability. The investigation addressed selection signatures in Gir and Tharparkar cattle, belonging to arid ecotypes of India. Double digest restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (ddRAD-seq) yielded nearly 26 million high-quality reads from unrelated seven Gir and seven Tharparkar cows. In all, 19,127 high-quality SNPs were processed for selection signature analysis. An approach involving within-population composite likelihood ratio (CLR) statistics and between-population FST statistics was used to capture selection signatures within and between the breeds, respectively. A total of 191 selection signatures were addressed using CLR and FST approaches. Selection signatures overlapping 86 and 73 genes were detected as Gir- and Tharparkar-specific, respectively. Notably, genes related to production (CACNA1D, GHRHR), reproduction (ESR1, RBMS3), immunity (NOSTRIN, IL12B) and adaptation (ADAM22, ASL) were annotated to selection signatures. Gene pathway analysis revealed genes in insulin/IGF pathway for milk production, gonadotropin releasing hormone pathway for reproduction, Wnt signalling pathway and chemokine and cytokine signalling pathway for adaptation. This is the first study where selection signatures are identified using ddRAD-seq in indicine cattle breeds. The study shall help in conservation and leveraging genetic improvements in Gir and Tharparkar cattle.

Improved reproductive performance in buffaloes can be achieved by understanding the basic mechanism governing the embryonic attachment and feto-maternal communication. Considering this, trascriptomic profiling and integrative analysis of long intergenic non-coding RNAs were carried out in the uterine caruncles of pregnant and non-pregnant buffaloes. Transcriptome data of pregnant and non-pregnant uterine caruncles after quality control was used to perform the analysis. Total of 86 novel lincRNAs expressed in uterine caruncular tissues were identified and characterized. Differential expression analysis revealed that 447 mRNAs and 185 mRNAs were up- and down- regulated, respectively. The number of up- and down- regulated lincRNAs were 114 and 13, respectively. Of the identified 86 novel lincRNAs, six novel lincRNAs were up-regulated in the pregnant uterine caruncles. GO terms (biological process) and PANTHER pathways associated with reproduction and embryogenesis were over-represented in differentially expressed genes. Through miRNA interaction analysis, interactions of 16 differentially expressed lincRNAs with mi-RNAs involved in reproduction were identified. This study has provided a catalogue of differentially expressed genes and novel regions previously unknown to play a significant role in buffalo reproduction. The results from the current study extends the buffalo uterine lncRNAs database and provides candidate regulators for future molecular genetic studies on buffalo uterine physiology to improve the embryo implantation and successful completion of pregnancy.