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Tribolium castaneum is a small and low maintenance beetle that has emerged as a most suitable insect model for studying developmental biology and functional genetic analysis. Diverse population genetic studies have been conducted using Tribolium as the principal model to establish basic facts and principles of inbreeding experiments and response to the selection and other quantitative genetics fundamentals. The advanced molecular genetic studies presently focused on the use of Tribolium as a typical invertebrate model for higher diploid eukaryotes. After a whole genome sequencing of Tribolium, many areas of functional genomics were unraveled, which enabled the use of it in many technical approaches of genomics. The present text reviews the use of Tribolium in techniques such as RNAi, transgenic studies, immune priming, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, gene sequencing for characterization of microRNAs, and gene editing using engineered endonuclease. In contrast to Drosophila, the T. castaneum holds a robust systemic RNAi response, which makes it an excellent model for comparative functional genetic studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With more and more Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) being identified throughout the genome, some of those SNPs will be found to be located within candidate genes, allowing the researchers to use the candidate gene approach on a genomewide scale. SNPs have some drawbacks but when compared to other markers they are more efficient and SNP consortium is growing to meet the requirements of genome-wide scans. Genomic selection should be able to at least double the rate of genetic gain in the dairy industry but the incorporation of genomic information into the breeding programs must be carefully considered. One needs to have around 2000 genotypes means a large reference population (population with both phenotype and genotype recorded) to achieve meaningful increases in accuracy. The available information, selection objectives, production circumstances and benefit/cost analysis must be evaluated in order to decide whether or not the population is suitable for GS implementation, and which would be the most convenient way, if any, for its implementation. Animal breeders will need to lead the way on the integration of genomic and phenotypic data into a new era of genome-enabled animal improvement and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropozoonotic parasite Toxoplasma gondii causes widespread human and animal diseases, mostly involving central nervous system. Human acquires toxoplasmosis from cats, from consuming raw or undercooked meat and from vertical transmission to the fetus through placenta from mother during pregnancy. Socio-epidemiological as well as unique environmental factors also plays a significant role in transmission of this infection. Preventive measures should be taken into account the importance of culture, tradition, and beliefs of people in various communities more than solving poverty and giving health education. Therefore the focus of this article is to create public awareness regarding sense of responsibility of looking after pets to prevent such an important zoonotic disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanobiotechnology is an emerging field that is potentially changing the way we treat diseases through drug delivery and tissue engineering. Methods of targeting nanoparticles to specific sites of the body while avoiding capture by vital organs are major hurdles that need to be answered. Whether actual or perceived, the potential health hazards associated with the production, distribution and use of nanomaterial must be balanced by the overall benefit that nanobiotechnology has to offer biomedical science such as therapeutic and diagnostic applications. It would be difficult to deny the potential benefits of nanobiotechnology and stop development of research related to it since it has already begun to penetrate many different fields of research. However, nanobiotechnology can be developed using guidelines to insure that the technology does not become too potentially harmful. As Richard Feynmann has rightly predicted that "There is plenty of room at the bottom" to modify and enhance existing technologies by manipulating material properties at the nanoscale, therefore with sufficient time and research nanobiotechnology based early detection, diagnosis and treatment of various diseases may become a reality. Nanobiotechnology may bring immense paradigm shift that we would wonder that how did we live without it? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The present study was undertaken to identify whether single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs109231409 located on mannose-binding lectins 1 (MBL1) gene was associated with mastitis tolerance/susceptibility. Materials and Methods: After grouping 100 Vrindavani crossbred cattle as mastitis positive and negative animals, they were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphisms method. Gene and genotype frequencies of different patterns were estimated by standard procedure (POPGENE version 1.32, (University of Alberta, Canada) and statistical analysis was carried out by logistic regression methods using STATA 12 software (StataCorp LP, USA). Results: The 588 bp fragment of MBL1 gene was amplified using PCR. PCR product was digested with ApaI restriction enzyme showed two distinct genotypes viz., GG (311 bp and 272 bp fragments) and GA (588 bp, 311 bp and 277 bp fragments). The gene, genotype frequencies, average heterozygosity, polymorphic information content and X2values for the locus rs109231409 was ascertained. Conclusions: No significant association between SNP "rs109231409" with mastitis tolerance was found. Although there is a lack of association, further studies have to be undertaken in a large population in order to validate the impact of rs109231409 (g.855G >A) on mastitis tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copy number variation (CNV) is a phenomenon in which sections of the genome, ranging from one kilo base pair (Kb) to several million base pairs (Mb), are repeated and the number of repeats vary between the individuals in a population. It is an important source of genetic variation in an individual which is now being utilized rather than single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), as it covers the more genomic region. CNVs alter the gene expression and change the phenotype of an individual due to deletion and duplication of genes in the copy number variation regions (CNVRs). Earlier, researchers extensively utilized SNPs as the main source of genetic variation. But now, the focus is on identification of CNVs associated with complex traits. With the recent advances and reduction in the cost of sequencing, arrays are developed for genotyping which cover the maximum number of SNPs at a time that can be used for detection of CNVRs and underlying quantitative trait loci (QTL) for the complex traits to accelerate genetic improvement. CNV studies are also being carried out to understand the evolutionary mechanism in the domestication of livestock and their adaptation to the different environmental conditions. The main aim of the study is to review the available data on CNV and its role in genetic variation among the livestock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs are a class of small, endogenously produced, 18 to 24 nucleotides long in length. These are non-coding RNAs that regulate the gene expression at post-transcriptional level. They play important roles in animals and plants by controlling regulatory mechanisms, and likely influencing the output of many protein-coding genes. They generally bind to 3' UTR region of the target sequence which then leads to alterations in the gene expression. They also bind to other regions like coding sequence and 5' UTR but these are less efficient sites of interaction compared to 3'UTR. This alteration in gene expression is either due to repression of translation or mRNA degradation whereby the RNA interference pathway is initiated to eliminate the targeted sequences. Now a days, various computational or bioinformatics databases, tools, and algorithms have been developed to identify the target genes which will be further biologically validated using various techniques like reporter gene assay, qRT-PCR, microarray etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]