Background: In this study, the serum of sheep raised on pasture in the province and districts of Diyarbakır was tested for concentrations of the essential trace elements Cr, Cu, Se, Zn, Co, Mn, ultra-trace elements like Ni, V and Ag and non-essential toxic trace elements like Al, Pb, As, Cd and Ti. Methods: The animals used in the study consisted of 313 healthy sheep at the end of lactation obtained from different districts of Diyarbakır. The closed system method of wet decomposition was used to transfer serum trace elements to the soluble phase in blood samples. Serum trace elements were analyzed using an ICP-MS device. Result: This study contributed to obtaining normal levels of Al, Ag, Ni, Ti and V trace elements in ewes at the end of lactation. It was observed that there was no difference between all districts in terms of serum Al, Ni, Cu and Zn trace element levels. In the study, differences were found in the serum Cr, Se, As and Cd trace element levels of sheep between the districts; however, it was determined that no significant deficiency or excess occurred and these levels were within normal limits. The Co and Mn levels we obtained in Diyarbakýr are much lower than the average levels reported by the researchers. We can say that the addition of Co and Mn trace elements in appropriate proportions to the rations of animals can positively affect animal health and productivity.

Nowadays, obesity is one of the most serious problems that significantly affect health in both human and animal populations. Fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO), increases the risk of obesity and other metabolic diseases such as cancer, with taking part in many complex molecular pathways. On the other hand, environmental and genetic factors cause changes in FTO gene variants and expression levels, which result in phenotypic differences. Advanced knowledge on the genetic basis of human FTO gene and its association with cancer and obesity, has paved the way for the investigation of FTO gene in animals as well. In this review, we summarized current state of knowledge about the FTO gene, which is considered as an important marker of obesity in humans, as well as obesity, cancer and the association of FTO polymorphisms with these diseases in dogs by considering humans with other animal species. Understanding the molecular background of the FTO gene in dogs will be leading to the development of individual treatment methods and prediction of possible phenotypic effects in other species.

Fatty acids are very important biological substances due to their metabolic, structural and signaling functions. Omega-3 has different beneficial, harmful and neutral effects on adipokines. Adipokines have autocrine, paracrine and endocrine effects on metabolism. In the study 54 German Fawn x Hair crossbred goats were synchronized using intravaginal sponges. During the first period (mating-75 days), all animals were fed a diet supplemented with protected fat and during the second period of pregnancy (76 days-kidding), one of the groups was fed a diet supplemented with fish oil and other was fed a diet supplemented with protected fat. Serum leptin, ghrelin, adiponektin and omentin levels were measured by ELISA system. Distributed fed (roughage and concentrate) were sampled and dry matter, crude protein, fat, and ash were determined by AOAC (1988) analysis methods. The Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF) and Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF) analysis were conducted using heat stable α-amylase and sodium sulphite. Fat source (fish oil or protected fat) affected feed consumption and the highest feed consumption was found in the group fed with protected oil first half of the pregnancy and with fish oil in the second half of the pregnancy and in the fish oil group during the pregnancy. It was determined that the use of fish oil during pregnancy did not affect ghrelin, leptin and omentin concentrations in serum. Adipokine levels of fish oil fed animals during any period of pregnancy were found to be high and it was also found that serum adiponectin levels in goats fed with diet containing fish oil in the first half of pregnancy and protected fat in the second half were statistically significantly high in adipokines.

Mammary tumors are the most common neoplasm in dogs, with a high mortality rate. The development of canine mammary tumors (CMT) is multifactorial, but different incidence rates between breeds suggest the effects of genetic risk factors. Many CMT-associated candidate genes were reported, mainly involved in cell cycle control. This study aims to investigate p27 tumor suppressor gene polymorphisms in dogs with mammary tumors and analyze the association between variations and CMTs. For this purpose, case and control groups were formed from 22 dogs diagnosed with malignant mammary tumors and 10 dogs with healthy mammary glands. The whole canine p27 gene was amplified and sequenced, including three exons, introns, and UTRs. Seven SNPs were identified in the 3'UTR of the p27 gene. The detected SNPs were as follows: A/C transversion at position 27:33916126, A/G transition at position 27:33915987, A/G transition at position 27:33915861, A/G transition at position 27:33915847, A/G transition at position 27:33915797, A/G transition at position 27:33915713, A/C transversion at position 27:33915684. No significant association was observed between these SNPs and canine mammary tumors. The coding region of the p27 gene of the dogs in this study was highly conserved and monomorphic. Further research on p27 polymorphisms and gene expression and their effects on mammary tumor development would shed light on the molecular basis of mammary cancers in dogs.

Background: Canine hip dysplasia (CHD) is an orthopedic disorder characterized by abnormal laxity of the hip joint. It is considered multifactorial and polygenic and affects predominantly medium and large sized dog breeds. Aims: The aim of this study was to identify CHD associated polymorphisms in chromosomal regions on CFA19, CFA24, CFA26, and CFA34. Methods: Blood samples from 60 dogs of different breeds were collected and genotyped, including 46 cases and 14 controls. After sequencing and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) determination of the target regions, an individual SNP analysis with a chi(2) statistic was performed based on the comparison of allele frequencies in cases and controls. Results: A significant association was observed between CHD and a T/C SNP on CFA19, which harbors genes involved in bone metabolism. No other significant association was found in the study and previously identified SNPs cannot be validated as related to CHD. Conclusion: Further research is warranted to identify CHD-associated polymorphisms in order to develop a genotype-based diagnosis and selection approach.

Canine mammary tumours (CMT) are among the most common canine cancer types in female dogs. Dogs provide an adaptable model system for human breast cancer studies. It is important to identify the underlying genetic basis to improve knowledge of pathways related to cancer pathogenesis in both species. In this study, we investigated CMT associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in target regions of ESR1 and CDK5RAP2 genes. Partial sequencing of two genes in 25 cases with mammary tumours and 10 dogs with healthy mammary glands was performed. Two previously reported SNPs in ESR1 gene and one previously reported SNP and two novel SNPs were genotyped downstream CDK5RAP2 gene. According to the association analysis performed in cases and controls, no statistically significant association was found between these SNPs and CMTs. Comparison of the results from other studies revealed the genetic heterogeneity of ESR1 and CDK5RAP2 between different dog breeds. Larger datasets of different breeds should be analyzed in further studies to identify the possible effects of the two genes in mammary tumour development.

In this study we investigated the effects of antibiotic and intraperitoneal ozone administration on proinflammatory cytokine, antioxidant levels and tissue damage in the treatment of experimentally infectious peritonitis.Thirty-three adult male New Zealand White Rabbits were used.The study consisted of four groups including the non-treatment group (G 1 ), antibiotic group (G 2 ), ozone group (G 3 ) and ozone + antibiotic group (G 4 ).Trimethoprim sulfadimethylprymidine was administered at a dose of 50 mg/kg subcutaneously (s.c.) and amoxicillin sodium at a dose of 15 mg/kg intramuscularly (i.m.).Medical ozone was administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) at a concentration of 30 µg O 3 /ml and dose of 80 ml/kg.Once peritonitis was produced, blood samples were taken from the animals before treatment and at regular intervals following treatment.Blood samples were used for haemograms and to measure levels of antioxidant and oxidative enzymes and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels.Tissue samples were examined histopathologically.There was no statistically significant difference between groups with respect to levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines.Antioxidant enzymes were found to be higher in groups G 2 and G 3 .The granulocyte and lymphocyte values in group G 3 were determined to increase earlier than in the other groups.The peritonitis scores were similar in G 1 and G 3 , which is higher compared to G 2 and G 4 groups.Minimal tissue damage was observed in the group G 2 .It was concluded that antibiotic use for preventing peritoneum damage in experimental acute peritonitis was more effective than ozone therapy alone.

The polymorphisms of the PRNP gene influence the susceptibility to scrapie in goats. In this study, caprine PRNP gene was analysed in a total of 249 individuals from three main indigenous goat breeds of Turkey: Anatolian Black, Angora and Kilis. We focused on the Anatolian Black breed, which represents 97% of the goat population in Turkey and compared the data of samples originated from different geographical regions. Eight polymorphisms were determined, given rise to 12 haplotypes. Allele, genotype and haplotype frequencies of the polymorphisms at codons 142, 143, 146, 154, 171, 211, 222 and 240 were calculated. Alleles associated to resistance to scrapie were found to be relatively rare in all breeds. The resistance allele 222K was absent in Turkish breeds. Other resistance-associated alleles: 146D, 146S, 154H and 171R were observed with low frequencies. The results of this study, which cover the mainly bred indigenous goats in Turkey, present the distribution of PRNP polymorphisms. Very low frequencies of resistance-associated alleles show the susceptibility to scrapie. The resistance-associated alleles S and D of codon 146 might be accepted as candidate alleles, due to their relative higher frequencies observed in the present study. A breeding program aiming to increase particularly the frequency of 146S might be applied. Predictions about impacts of a long-term breeding programme based on low initial allele frequencies and regarding its possible adverse effects are warranted. Our results might be a database for future breeding programmes, which should be carefully designed with adequate levels of genetic resistance and acceptable timeframe.

It is predicted that yield characteristics will be affected in the negative direction as a result of future global warming. Genotyping gene regions affecting the yield characteristics of animals today and thereby contributing to minimizing this situation in which producers can be affected in the negative direction. The aim of this study is to determine genotype and allele distribution of PRL, GH and PROP1 genes of the indigenous goat breeds in Turkey. Unrelated 50 Anatolian Black, 50 Kilis and 50 Angora goat breeds are used as the sample of the study. The genotype and allele frequencies of PRL and PROPI were detected by using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. The GH polymorphism was determined by direct sequencing. C allele frequency of PROP1 and A allele frequency of the PRL was found to be high in Anatolian Black, Kilis and Angora goat breeds. Only BB genotype was observed in 5' promoter region GH gene. As a result, it can be suggested that these three genes need further investigation on more goat breeds and larger numbers of individuals and also further investigations should be carried out in order to understand the relations between gene and efficiency traits. Based on these, future studies on Anatolian breeds can lead to more definitive results.

Mammary gland tumor is the most common type of tumor in female dogs. Data on genes that are involved in tumorigenesis and mechanism of tumor development are insufficient. Comparative studies have been conducted in order to see if tumorigenesis studies in the dog could be a model for human mammary gland tumors. In this study, we constructed two different cDNA libraries from mammary tissue, which were collected from a normal mammary tissue of a healthy Terrier dog and a tumoral mammary tissue of a sick dog. A total 2304 colonies which are randomly picked out from the two libraries were sequenced for developing a dog mammary gland ESTs collection. Raw EST data were analyzed with Phred/Phrap programs and readable EST sequences were assembled with the CAP3 program. All of EST sequences were grouped into 45 contig and 2203 singletons. Putative functions of all unique sequences were designated by NCBI BLAST based on gene homology and annotated by BLAST2GO. The results of this study are a very valuable resource for functional genome studies of the dogs.

Growth and meat production traits are very important in sheep breeding. Cyp19 gene has a major role in reproductive activity and growth due to its function in estrogen synthesis. Another gene affecting growth traits is Myostatin (MSTN) gene, which mainly regulates skeletal muscle growth. In this study allele frequencies of genetic polymorphism in Cyp19 and Myostatin genes were identified by PCR-RFLP method in five indigenous Turkish sheep breeds, Chiose, Imroz, Kivircik, Zom and Morkaraman. Digestion of Cyp19 gene with HaeIII only revealed uncut AA genotype and digestion of MSTN with DraI also revealed only uncut AA genotype. Both loci analyzed in this study were found to be monomorphic in five Turkish indigenous sheep breeds. These highly conserved parts of the two genes can be useful for molecular evolutionary studies in sheep. Further studies regarding association analysis of Cyp19 and MSTN in sheep should be conducted.

In recent years, mitochondrial diversity of goats has been extensively studied, in order to shed light on do- mestication processes. There are limited studies on genetic diversity and demographic history of Anatolian goat breeds, and these studies have focused only on modern goats. Until today, no research has been con- ducted on DNA analysis of ancient Anatolian goats. In the present study, seven ancient DNA samples of goat remains from Van-Yoncatepe archaeological site in Eastern Anatolia, Turkey, dating 1000 BC, were success- fully extracted and amplified for the first time. A 230-bp fragment of mitochondrial DNA Hypervariable Region 1 of the samples was analyzed. All of the ancient sequences belonged to haplogroup A, which is the most widely distributed and frequently encountered haplogroup in modern goats. The results also pointed out that Anatolian ancient goats might have contributed to the genetic structure of modern goats in the Near East, the Mediterranean Region and South-Southeastern Asia. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Keratin-associated proteins are major structural components of hair and wool fibres. They also play an important role in determining the properties of the fibre. This study is designed to examine variation in the genes encoding key keratin and keratin -associated proteins in Chios, Kivircik and Awassi sheep. Variation at these loci has the potential to be developed as genetic markers deal with wool traits. Blood samples were taken into 2 ml sterilized tubes with EDTA from vena jugularis for having genomic DNA samples. Genomic DNA isolation was obtained by standard salting out method. Regions were amplified for the determination of KAP 1.1, KAP 1.3 and K33 polymorphisms in DNA samples by using PCR. Gene polymorphisms and chi-square test were used to determine whether the populations are in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium using by POPGENE32 software. Results of the sequence analysis of the regions were evaluated by using MEGA 5. The results have shown a possibility to improve the quality of the wool traits on those local species by doing selection trials targeting on those mentioned genes.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Istanbul, Avcilar 34320, Istanbul, Turkey Department of Biochemistry Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Istanbul, Avcilar 34320, Istanbul, Turkey 3 Informatics Institute, Istanbul Technical University, Maslak 34469 Istanbul, Turkey Department of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Istanbul, Avcilar 34320

This study was carried out to determine polymorphisms of four genes in South Anatolian Red (SAR) and East Anatolian Red (EAR) indigenous cattle breeds in Turkey. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) monitored in this study are Y581S in ATP binding cassette sub family G member 2 (ABCG2) gene, c.1892T>C and c.3359A>C in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PPARGC1A) gene and g.8232C>A in oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor 1 (OLR1) gene. The frequency of the ancestral allele A of the ABCG2 gene Y581S polymorphism was found to be very high (SAR: 0.63; EAR: 0.64) in both cattle breeds. The CC genotypes of PPARGC1A gene c.1892T>C (SAR: 0.65; EAR: 0.80) and OLR1 gene g.8232C>A polymorphisms (SAR: 0.82; EAR: 0.86), which are associated with high milk fat percentage, had higher frequencies than those of the other genotypes. In conclusion, we might suggest that the allele distribution of the ABCG2 gene Y581S polymorphism can be the evidence indicating autosomal gene flow from zebu cattle to SAR and EAR cattle breeds.

The aim of the present study is to determine variations of estrone sulphate (SO4E1), progesterone (P4), 17-beta estradiol (E2), testosterone (T) and prolactin (PRL) levels in serum, mammary tissue homogenates as well as variations in the distribution of androgen (AR), estrogen alpha (ER alpha), progesterone (PR) and prolactin (PRL-R) receptors in mammary tumours of dogs. Thirty bitches from different breeds and ages with mammary lesions (experiment group) and 10 healthy bitches (free of any mammary lesions=control group) were used in this study. All the dogs included to the study were in anoestrus. Mammary lesions of experiment group were surgically removed and 10 normal mammary tissue samples were collected by surgical biopsy from control group dogs. Fifty-seven mammary tissue samples were obtained and were divided into two fragments for histopathology/immunohistochemistry and for hormone determinations in tissue homogenate. Besides, blood samples were collected from all dogs before the surgeries to detect hormonal variations. Student t-test was used for serum samples, one way ANOVA and tukey test were used in tissue homogenate for statistical analysis. According to current study results; PRL levels in serum were found significantly higher (P<0.01) in the experiment group compared to the control group. In tissue homogenate samples, T levels were found to be significantly (P<0.01) higher in malignant mammary tissue samples. PR was intensely expressed in 23, PRL-R was expressed in 13, ERa was expressed in 9 and AR was expressed in 6 cases of canine malignant mammary tumours (CMTs). In conclusion, PRL levels in serum, T in tissue can act on the formation of canine mammary tumours which may have different features of developments in different mammary glands of the same dog and with the predominance of PR expression in CMT.

Anatolia has been an important region for civilizations and agricultural revolution as a major domestication centre for livestock species. Goats (Capra hircus) were among the earliest domesticated animals in this region. In this study, genetic diversity of Anatolian goat breeds was characterized by comparison of mitochondrial DNA hypervariable region 1. A total of 295 individuals, including 99 Anatolian Black goats, 96 Angora goats and 100 Kilis goats, were used. Haplogroup A was found to be the dominant haplogroup in all three breeds. The highest haplogroup diversity, including haplogroups A, B2, C and G, was observed in the Anatolian Black breed. Haplogroup D was only observed in Kilis and Angora goats. Haplogroup G was found in Angora and Anatolian Black breeds. The Anatolian goat breeds had high genetic diversity values and a weak phylogeographical structure. The nucleotide diversity values were found to be higher than those in previously studied goat breeds. The fact that Anatolia is a domestication centre and its geographical position as a junction of trade routes may have caused the higher genetic diversity of Anatolian goat breeds.

The aim of this study was to determine the variants of the thioesterase (TE) beta-ketoacyl reductase (KR) domains of the Fatty Acid Synthase (FASN) gene, in the East Anatolian Red (EAR) and South Anatolian Red (SAR) cattle breeds. It has been suggested that the FASN gene is effective on fatty acid composition of meat in cattle. In this study, the genotype and allele frequencies of g.17924 A>G, g.18440 G>A and g.16024 G>A, g.16039 T>C in TE and KR domains, respectively, were detected by using polymerase chain reaction - restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. The g.18663 T>C polymorphism of the TE domain was determined by direct sequencing. The GG genotype of the g.17924 A>G polymorphism, which affects unsaturated fatty acid composition positively, has a high frequency in EAR and SAR breeds. The frequencies of the two haplotypes g.16024 G>A and g.16039 T>C in the KR domain were found to be significantly high in both breeds. These haplotypes also have positive effects on unsaturated fatty acid composition. The AA genotype of the g. 18440 G>A polymorphism, which is suggested to be absent in Bos taurus breeds, was detected in SAR and EAR breeds with frequencies close to those in Bos indicus breeds. In conclusion, we suggest that SAR and EAR cattle breeds have an advantage in terms of genotype and haplotype distribution of the polymorphisms in TE and KR domains of the FASN gene. Additionally g.18440 G>A polymorphism might be a potential marker for breed discrimination.

The aim of this study was to determine the most suitable growth medium for rapid and efficient micropropagation of Vaccinium arctostaphylos L. (Ericaceae) via lateral-bud cultures. According to preliminary studies, the best explant collection time was late April and May. Accordingly, cuttings were taken from naturally growing V. arctostaphylos populations, and lateral shoot buds were used as explant sources. Anderson's rhododendron medium (AN), McCown's woody plant medium (WPM), and Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium, each supplemented with zeatin/indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) (1.0/0.1 mg L-1), were tested to determine the best basal medium for multiple shoot formation; WPM was the most effective basal medium for this purpose. Subsequent shoot multiplication and development studies were carried out with WPM supplemented with an auxin, IBA (0.1 mg L-1), and 2 different cytokinins, zeatin and thidiazuron (TDZ), in various concentrations (0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg L-1, respectively). After a 6-week photoperiod (16/8 h, light/ dark) application, zeatin/IBA combinations were found to be the most suitable for shoot multiplication and growth. The highest shoot length (106.53%) was obtained from the medium supplemented with 1.0/0.1 mg L-1 zeatin/IBA, while the highest increases in leaf number (141.89%) and multiple shoot proliferation (10.55-fold) were obtained from medium supplemented with 2.0/0.1 mg L-1 zeatin/IBA. WPM was also employed as a rooting medium supplemented with different concentrations of IBA (from 0.5 mg L-1 to 8.0 mg L-1) and a 16/8 photoperiod or a completely dark regime. At this stage, the medium supplemented with 0.5 mg L-1 IBA was the best rooting growth regulator with 100% rooting success (16/8 photoperiod). Rooted plantlets transplanted into peat and perlite (2:1) substrate were subsequently acclimatized under climate chamber conditions.