Papers by Cynthia Bottema
Lipids, Apr 1, 2006
A group of Angus beef cattle was removed from temperate pastures and fed a very low beta-carotene... more A group of Angus beef cattle was removed from temperate pastures and fed a very low beta-carotene cereal-based ration in a feedlot for over 300 d. Half the group was supplemented weekly with retinyl palmitate (at the rate of 60,000 IU vitamin A/100 live weight (LW)/day), sufficient to offset clinical vitamin A deficiency; the other half received no supplement. Blood was sampled from all animals at biweekly intervals to assess beta-carotene and vitamin A status. Adipose tissue was sampled by biopsy on three occasions throughout the experimental period and at slaughter to assess FA composition. Muscle was sampled at slaughter to determine the intramuscular fat content. The mean plasma concentration of beta-carotene of all animals fell from an initial value of 20.1 to 5.2 microg/mL at 14 d, to 1.4 microg/mL at 35 d, and to zero at 105 d. Mean vitamin A in plasma was not significantly different between the treatment groups initially. The values then rose to almost twice their initial values by 35 d, but subsequently fell to below initial values by day 119. Thereafter, plasma vitamin A of the supplemented group was significantly greater than that of the unsupplemented group (P < 0.05). Muscle samples at slaughter from supplemented animals contained significantly (P < 0.01) more intramuscular lipid (13.0 vs. 9.6%). Major changes occurred over time in FA composition in both groups. Saturated FA decreased as monounsaturated FA increased over the first 60 d. An index of desaturation of FA was significantly lower (P < 0.001) in the vitamin A-supplemented group than in the nonsupplemented group. M.P. of the adipose tissue of nonsupplemented animals was 32.3 degrees C, significantly less (P< 0.05) than that of supplemented animals (34.1 degrees C). Feeding vitamin A was associated with less intramuscular fat but with a less desirable (less unsaturated, more solid) FA profile.
Journal of Dairy Science, Apr 1, 2023
Bovine colostrum contains a high concentration of immune-related microRNAs (miRNAs) that are pack... more Bovine colostrum contains a high concentration of immune-related microRNAs (miRNAs) that are packaged in exosomes and are very stable. In this study, 5 immune-related miRNAs (miR-142-5p, miR-150, miR-155, miR-181a, and miR-223) were quantified in dam blood, colostrum, and calf blood using reverse transcription quantitative PCR. Their levels in calf blood after colostrum ingestion were investigated to assess whether miRNAs are transferred from the dam to newborn calves. Three groups of Holstein-Friesian bull calves were bottle-fed 2 L of colostrum or milk from different sources twice per day. The group A calves received colostrum from their own dam and the group B calves were fed foster dam colostrum. Each pair of group A and group B calves were fed identical colostrum from the same milking of the corresponding group A dam for 3 d and then bulk tank milk for 7 d after birth. Group C calves were fed only 2L of "pooled colostrum" from multiple dams d 0 to 4 postpartum, and then fed bulk tank milk thereafter for 7 d after birth. The groups were fed colostrum from different sources and different amounts to assess possible miRNA absorption from the colostrum. All miRNAs were at the highest level in colostrum at d 0 and then decreased rapidly after d 1. The level of miR-150 had the largest decrease from 489 × 106 copies/µL (d 0) to 78 × 106 copies/ µL (d 1). MicroRNA-223 and miR-155 were the most abundant in both colostrum and milk. Dam colostrum had significantly higher levels of miR-142-5p, miR-155, and miR-181a than the bulk tank milk. However, only the miR-155 concentration was significantly higher in the dam colostrum than in the pooled colostrum. The concentrations of miRNAs in the colostrum were less than in the cow blood (100-to 1,000-fold less). There was no significant correlation between the level of miR-NAs in the dam blood and their colostrum, suggesting that miRNA is synthesized locally by the mammary gland rather than being transferred from the blood. MicroRNA-223 had the highest level in both calf and cow blood compared with the other 4 immune-related miRNAs. Calves were born with high levels of immunerelated miRNAs in their blood, and there were no significant differences in miRNA levels between the 3 calf groups at birth or after they were fed different colostrum. This suggests that these miRNAs were not transferred from the colostrum to the newborn calves.
Human Mutation, 1993
Previous data suggested an elevated rate of polymorphism in Alu sequences. Direct genomic sequenc... more Previous data suggested an elevated rate of polymorphism in Alu sequences. Direct genomic sequencing was performed on five Alu repeats in the factor IX gene in at least 20 unrelated males of European and Asian descent (40 kb total). In these Alu sequences, the estimated rate of polymorphism in Caucasians (HE = 7.1 x 10(-4); HN = 4.5 x 10(-4) is similar to previously examined nonrepetitive sequences in the factor IX gene, and about twofold lower than previous estimates of the average rate of polymorphism for the X-chromosome which utilized random genomic clones to detect RFLPs. The aggregate data on the rate of polymorphism in Alu sequences suggest that mutations due to gene conversions at these sites are infrequent.
Animal Genetics, Jul 6, 2007
SummaryIn this study, a highly significant quantitative trait locus (QTL) for meat percentage, ey... more SummaryIn this study, a highly significant quantitative trait locus (QTL) for meat percentage, eye muscle area (EMA) and silverside percentage was found on cattle chromosome 2 at 0–15 cM, a region containing the positional candidate gene growth differentiation factor 8 (GDF8), which has the common alias myostatin (MSTN). Loss‐of‐function mutations in the MSTN gene are known to cause an extreme ‘double muscling’ phenotype in cattle. In this study, highly significant associations of MSTN with cattle carcass traits were found using maternally inherited MSTN haplotypes from outbred Limousin and Jersey cattle in a linkage disequilibrium analysis. A previously reported transversion in MSTN (AF320998.1:g.433C>A), resulting in the amino acid substitution of phenylalanine by leucine at position 94 of the protein sequence (F94L), was the only polymorphism consistently related to increased muscling. Overall, the size of the g.433C>A additive effect on carcass traits was moderately large, with the g.433A allele found to be associated with a 5.5% increase in silverside percentage and EMA and a 2.3% increase in total meat percentage relative to the g.433C allele. The phenotypic effects of the g.433A allele were partially recessive. This study provides strong evidence that a MSTN genotype can produce an intermediate, non‐double muscling phenotype, which should be of significant value for beef cattle producers.
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, Jun 1, 2010
Fat cell accumulation in skeletal muscle is a major characteristic of various disorders, such as ... more Fat cell accumulation in skeletal muscle is a major characteristic of various disorders, such as obesity, sarcopenia and dystrophies. Moreover, these fat cells could be involved in muscle homeostasis regulation as previously described for adipocytes in bone marrow. Despite recent advances on the topic, no clearly characterized mouse model is currently available to study fat accumulation within skeletal muscle. Here, we report a detailed characterization of a mouse model of skeletal muscle fat cell accumulation after degeneration induced by intra-muscular injection of glycerol. Information is provided on the kinetics of degeneration/fat deposition, including the quantity of fat deposited based on various parameters such as glycerol concentration, age, sex and strain of mice. Finally, these fat cells are characterized as true white adipocytes morphologically and molecularly. Our study shows that the mouse adipocyte accumulation within skeletal muscle after glycerol degeneration is a reproducible, transposable and easy model to use. This mouse model should allow a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of adipocyte accumulation in skeletal muscle pathophysiology.
Animal Genetics, Mar 29, 2023
Horns, a form of headgear carried by Bovidae, have ethical and economic implications for ruminant... more Horns, a form of headgear carried by Bovidae, have ethical and economic implications for ruminant production species such as cattle and goats. Hornless (polled) individuals are preferred. In cattle, four genetic variants (Celtic, Friesian, Mongolian and Guarani) are associated with the polled phenotype, which are clustered in a 300‐kb region on chromosome 1. As the variants are intergenic, the functional effect is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine if the POLLED variants affect chromatin structure or disrupt enhancers using publicly available data. Topologically associating domains (TADs) were analyzed using Angus‐ and Brahman‐specific Hi‐C reads from lung tissue of an Angus (Celtic allele) cross Brahman (horned) fetus. Predicted bovine enhancers and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing peaks for histone modifications associated with enhancers (H3K27ac and H3K4me1) were mapped to the POLLED region. TADs analyzed from Angus‐ and Brahman‐specific Hi‐C reads were the same, therefore, the Celtic variant does not appear to affect this level of chromatin structure. The Celtic variant is located in a different TAD from the Friesian, Mongolian, and Guarani variants. Predicted enhancers and histone modifications overlapped with the Guarani and Friesian variants but not the Celtic or Mongolian variants. This study provides insight into the mechanisms of the POLLED variants for disrupting horn development. These results should be validated using data produced from the horn bud region of horned and polled bovine fetuses.
Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Nov 1, 2015
Among dog breeds, the Dachshund has the highest lifetime incidence of intervertebral disc disease... more Among dog breeds, the Dachshund has the highest lifetime incidence of intervertebral disc disease (IVDD). Intervertebral disc (IVD) calcification is an indicator of severe degeneration that predisposes to disc herniation. IVDD is heritable in Dachshunds, and in some countries, breeding candidates are screened to reduce IVDD occurrence by selecting dogs according to their score of radiographically detectable intervertebral disc calcification (RDIDC) and excluding dogs with ≥5 RDIDCs from breeding. This study evaluated the precision of scoring spinal radiographs for IVD calcification and subsequent classification of Dachshund dogs for breeding based on their RDIDC score. Digital radiographs of the spine were obtained in 19 clinically healthy, young adult Dachshunds, and scored for RDIDC independently by five scorers with varying levels of experience, three times each. Within scorer (repeatability) and between scorer (reproducibility) variability was estimated both at the individual IVD level and at the whole dog level for breeding classification purposes. At the IVD level, some degree of scorer effect was supported by the pairwise repeatability (92.3%; 95% CI: 88.8-94.7%) being marginally higher than the reproducibility (89.2%; 95% CI: 85.7-91.8%). Scorer-specific patterns confirmed the presence of scorer subjectivity. Repeatability significantly increased with scorer experience but the reproducibility did not. RDIDC scoring repeatability and reproducibility substantially decreased at the cervicothoracic spine region, likely due to anatomical superimpositions. At the dog level, a breeding classification could be repeated by the same scorer for 83.6% (95% CI: 73.8-90.2%) of the dogs, and was reproduced between two scorers for 80.2% (95% CI: 66.6-89.1%) of the dogs. The repeatability of breeding classification also seemed to increase with scorer experience but not the reproducibility. Overall, RDIDC scoring revealed some degree of inconsistency explained by scorer subjectivity and inexperience, and anatomical superimpositions. Scorer training and experience is strongly recommended to improve test precision and ensure appropriate classification of Dachshunds for breeding.
Nucleic Acids Research, 1990
Animal Genetics, Nov 10, 2010
SummaryA QTL study of live animal and carcass traits in beef cattle was carried out in New Zealan... more SummaryA QTL study of live animal and carcass traits in beef cattle was carried out in New Zealand and Australia. Back‐cross calves (385 heifers and 398 steers) were generated, with Jersey and Limousin backgrounds. This paper reports on weights of eight organs (heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, spleen, gastro‐intestinal tract, fat, and rumen contents) and 12 fat composition traits (fatty acid (FA) percentages, saturated and monounsaturated FA subtotals, and fat melting point). The New Zealand cattle were reared and finished on pasture, whilst Australian cattle were reared on grass and finished on grain for at least 180 days. For organ weights and fat composition traits, 10 and 12 significant QTL locations (P < 0.05), respectively, were detected on a genome‐wide basis, in combined‐sire or within‐sire analyses. Seven QTL significant for organ weights were found at the proximal end of chromosome 2. This chromosome carries a variant myostatin allele (F94L), segregating from the Limousin ancestry, and this is a positional candidate for the QTL. Ten significant QTL for fat composition were found on chromosomes 19 and 26. Fatty acid synthase and stearoyl‐CoA desaturase (SCD1), respectively, are positional candidate genes for these QTL. Two FA QTL found to be common to sire groups in both populations were for percentages of C14:0 and C14:1 (relative to all FAs) on chromosome 26, near the SCD1 candidate gene.
Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta - Biomembranes, Mar 1, 1985
Fluorescence anisotropy measurements indicated that physical changes occurred in the lipids of pl... more Fluorescence anisotropy measurements indicated that physical changes occurred in the lipids of plasma membranes of yeast sterol mutants but not in the plasma membrane of an ergosterol wild-type. Parallel experiments with model membrane liposomes verified that the physical changes in lipids observed in the sterol mutants are dependent on the sterol present and not the phospholipid composition. In addition, the physical changes in iipids observed in liposomes derived from wild-type phospholipids were eliminated by addition of ergosterol but persisted in the presence of cholesterol, cholestanol, ergostanol, or sterols from the sterol mutants. No physical changes in lipids were observed, however, in plasma membranes from a sterol auxotroph, even when the auxotroph was grown on cholesterol or cholestanol. The lack of physical changes in lipids in the sterol auxotroph may reflect the ability of the auxotroph to modify its phospholipid composition with respect to its sterol composition. These results indicate that high specificity 'sparking' sterol is not required for the regulation of overall bulk lipid properties of the plasma membrane.
Genomics, Nov 1, 1997
The neuropeptide galanin elicits a range of biologiwhich it is 30 amino acids long and nonamidate... more The neuropeptide galanin elicits a range of biologiwhich it is 30 amino acids long and nonamidated. The cal effects by interaction with specific G-protein-couprimary amino acid sequence of galanin has been pled receptors. Human and rat GALR1 galanin recephighly conserved throughout evolution, particularly tor cDNA clones have previously been isolated using the N-terminal 15 amino acids, which are invariant expression cloning. We have used the human GALR1 in mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibia (Crawley, cDNA in hybridization screening to isolate the gene 1995; Chartrel et al., 1995). In mammals, galanin is encoding GALR1 in both human (GALNR) and mouse widely distributed in the central and peripheral ner-(Galnr). The gene spans approximately 15-20 kb in vous system, where it elicits numerous biological efboth species; its structural organization is conserved fects. These include inhibition of neurotransmitter reand is unique among G-protein-coupled receptors. The lease, regulation of pituitary hormone secretion, moducoding sequence is contained on three exons, with lation of heart rate and blood pressure, and effects on exon 1 encoding the N-terminal end of the receptor appetite, memory, nociception, and sexual activity and the first five transmembrane domains. Exon 2 en
Genomics, Aug 1, 1991
In our sample of 160 consecutive Caucasian hemophiliacs, 14 (9%) had a G----A transition at bp 10... more In our sample of 160 consecutive Caucasian hemophiliacs, 14 (9%) had a G----A transition at bp 10,430 that substitutes serine for glycine 60 in the first EGF domain of the factor IX molecule. Each of these hemophiliacs had clinically mild disease. Haplotype data and familial pedigrees indicate that 12 of these hemophiliacs are likely to be related to a common ancestor. The 13th and 14th patients possess different haplotypes and thus represent independent origins of the mutation. In addition, we have screened these 160 hemophiliacs for the previously reported mutations resulting from founder effects at IIe397----Thr and Thr296----Met. Herein we report an additional nine hemophiliacs with the mutant Thr397 allele and five additional hemophiliacs with the mutant Met296 allele. Haplotype data for these 14 hemophiliacs support the original founder effect hypotheses for these mutations. In total, the above three mutations are found in 44 of the 160 seemingly unrelated Caucasian hemophiliacs (28%). The sample includes patients from all regions of the United States and Ontario, Canada. Descendants of these three founders comprise approximately two-thirds of the missense mutations found in our sample of Caucasian hemophiliacs with clinically mild disease.
Human Genetics, Apr 1, 1990
Direct sequencing of the regions of the factor IX gene of likely functional significance was perf... more Direct sequencing of the regions of the factor IX gene of likely functional significance was performed in four patients with severe hemophilia B. In two of the individuals, a transition at the dinucleotide CpG caused a nonsense mutation at arginine 333. In the other two individuals, a transition at CpG caused a nonsense mutation at arginine 29. Since these patients are all unrelated, as shown by differing alleles of the TaqI polymorphism in intron four or extensive nonoverlapping pedigrees, the mutations arose independently. In addition, the origin of one arginine 333 mutation in one family has been traced to the germline of the maternal grandfather. The frequent occurrence of mutations at arginine codons that contain the sequence CGN can be explained by the dramatic elevation of transitions at CpG. As a result, approximately one in four individuals with hemophilia B is expected to have a mutation at arginine and nonsense mutations at one of six arginine residues should be common causes of severe hemophilia.
Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta - Biomembranes, Oct 1, 1983
Plasma membranes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae were prepared by a new procedure involving lyticas... more Plasma membranes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae were prepared by a new procedure involving lyticase treatment of the yeast cells. The plasma membranes were riOt-side-ont, dosed vesicles of uniform appearance with a sterol to phospholipid molar ratio of 0.365. The thermotropic behavior of these plasma membranes from wild-type yeast and from steroi mutants was examined by differential scanning calorimetry, fluorescence anisotropy and Arrbenius kinetics of plasma membrane enzymes. While differential scanning calorimetry failed to demonstrate any lipid transition, fluorescence anisotropy data indicated that lipid transitions were occurring in the plasma membranes of the yeast sterol mutants but not the sterol wild-type. The temperature dependence of the plasma membrane enzymes, chitin synthase and Mg2+-ATPase, was also investigated. The Arrhenius kinetics of chitin synthase did not reveal any transitions in either the sterol mutant or wild-type plasma membranes, yet the Arrhenius kinetics of the Mg 2+-ATpase suggested that lipid transitions were occurring in both cases.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Jan 30, 2001
Animals
Monitoring and minimizing the prevalence of failed transfer of passive immunity (FTPI) in dairy r... more Monitoring and minimizing the prevalence of failed transfer of passive immunity (FTPI) in dairy replacement calves within the first week of life is crucial for calf health and farm profitability. In this study, a systematic literature search and meta-analysis were conducted on papers reporting the prevalence of FTPI in calves from pasture-based dairy farms in Australia and New Zealand. Two search methods, a “traditional method” and a “search engine method”, were conducted to identify published studies on FTPI in Australia and New Zealand. Data from a total of 13,430 calves from eight studies in Australasia were included in the analysis for FTPI within 8 days of birth. The meta-analysis revealed that the average prevalence of FTPI was 33% across the two countries, with the lowest FTPI (9%) in Western Australia and the highest FTPI (59%) in New Zealand. Using farm data from three studies, the average prevalence of FTPI at the farm level in Australasia was 38%, with the lowest prevalen...
Lipids, May 1, 2003
ABSTRACT: An experiment examined ∆9 desaturase activity and FA composition in subcutaneous adipos... more ABSTRACT: An experiment examined ∆9 desaturase activity and FA composition in subcutaneous adipose tissue in two dif-fering breeds of cattle. Jersey-sired cattle had significantly higher rates of desaturase activity than Limousin-sired cattle (1.55 vs. 0.75 nmol/mg protein/min). This ...
Veterinary medicine and science, May 3, 2022
BackgroundDogs have a species‐specific susceptibility for developing mast cell tumours (MCTs). Mu... more BackgroundDogs have a species‐specific susceptibility for developing mast cell tumours (MCTs). Mutations in the KIT proto‐oncogene (KIT) are known to contribute to the neoplastic biology of mast cells. In dogs, the most common KIT mutation is an internal tandem duplication (ITD) in exon 11 which has been considered a useful prognostic supplement to traditional histopathological tumour grading.ObjectiveThe aim of this retrospective study was to explore the importance of KIT exon 11 ITD mutation status and known clinical and pathological indices in predicting prognosis in a cohort of Australian dogs diagnosed with MCT.MethodsClinical parameters, survival data, and KIT mutation status were collected and assessed for 220 dogs with cutaneous or subcutaneous MCT (n = 189 and n = 31, respectively).ResultsIn at least one of the multivariable models, tumour grade (cutaneous Kiupel low or high grade) or tumour subcutaneous location, multiple concurrent MCTs, metastasis at the time of surgery, and senior age were statistically significant in predicting the outcome (MCT‐related death and/or second MCT diagnosis) at 6‐ or 12‐month post‐tumour excision. KIT exon 11 ITD mutation status was not a significant predictor in any of the final multivariable models and was strongly correlated with high histological grade (p < 0.001).ConclusionIn this sample of dogs, tumour histological grading remained the single most powerful prognostic indicator for MCT outcome. However, concurrent evaluation of multiple prognostically significant parameters provides information of potential value to inform therapeutic management for each patient.
Animal Genetics, Apr 22, 2001
The results of genotypic data contributed to the International Society of Animal Genetics (ISAG) ... more The results of genotypic data contributed to the International Society of Animal Genetics (ISAG) Bovine Chromosome 11 (BTA11) Workshop are presented. Six laboratories contributed a total of 26 199 informative meioses from 80 loci. Thirty-six loci were typed by at least two independent laboratories and were used to construct a consensus linkage map of the chromosome. The remaining loci were subsequently incorporated into a comprehensive map. The sex-averaged consensus map covered 128.9 cM. The female consensus map was 101.2 cM, while the male consensus map was 129.8 cM. The comprehensive sex-averaged map was 134.2 cM and the average genetic distance between loci was 1.72 cM.
Veterinary Journal, Jun 1, 2014
Intervertebral disc disease is a common, painful and debilitating neurological condition of dogs,... more Intervertebral disc disease is a common, painful and debilitating neurological condition of dogs, causing substantial morbidity and mortality. The Dachshund is particularly susceptible to this disorder. The goal of this article is not to duplicate previously published reviews on canine intervertebral disc degeneration and degenerative diseases. Rather, the aims are threefold: (1) to reflect on selected clinical and pathophysiological aspects of intervertebral disc degeneration and disc disease that are pertinent to the Dachshund breed; (2) to review a radiographic spinal scoring scheme developed to reduce the prevalence of intervertebral disc disease in Dachshunds; and (3) to suggest further areas of research to improve upon the currently established scoring scheme in an attempt to address this breed's greatest health problem.
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Papers by Cynthia Bottema