Non-Synonymous Variants in Fat QTL Genes among High- and Low-Milk-Yielding Indigenous Breeds.

The effect of breed on milk components-fat, protein, lactose, and water-has been observed to be significant. As fat is one of the major price-determining factors for milk, exploring the variations in fat QTLs across breeds would shed light on the variable fat content in their milk. Here, on whole-genome sequencing, 25 differentially expressed hub or bottleneck fat QTLs were explored for variations across indigenous breeds. Out of these, 20 genes were identified as having nonsynonymous substitutions. A fixed SNP pattern in high-milk-yielding breeds in comparison to low-milk-yielding breeds was identified in the genes GHR, TLR4, LPIN1, CACNA1C, ZBTB16, ITGA1, ANK1, and NTG5E and, vice versa, in the genes MFGE8, FGF2, TLR4, LPIN1, NUP98, PTK2, ZTB16, DDIT3, and NT5E. The identified SNPs were ratified by pyrosequencing to prove that key differences exist in fat QTLs between the high- and low-milk-yielding breeds.

SARS-CoV-2 Spike Glycoprotein and ACE2 Interaction Reveals Modulation of Viral Entry in Wild and Domestic Animals.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a viral pathogen causing life-threatening diseases in humans. Interaction between the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a potential factor in the infectivity of a host. In this study, the interaction of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein with its receptor, ACE2, in different hosts was evaluated to predict the probability of viral entry. Phylogeny and alignment comparison of the ACE2 sequences did not lead to any meaningful conclusion on viral entry in different hosts. The binding ability between ACE2 and the spike protein was assessed to delineate several spike binding parameters of ACE2. A significant difference between the known infected and uninfected species was observed for six parameters. However, these parameters did not specifically categorize the Orders into infected or uninfected. Finally, a logistic regression model constructed using spike binding parameters of ACE2, revealed that in the mammalian class, most of the species of Carnivores, Artiodactyls, Perissodactyls, Pholidota, and Primates had a high probability of viral entry. However, among the Proboscidea, African elephants had a low probability of viral entry. Among rodents, hamsters were highly probable for viral entry with rats and mice having a medium to low probability. Rabbits have a high probability of viral entry. In Birds, ducks have a very low probability, while chickens seemed to have medium probability and turkey showed the highest probability of viral entry. The findings prompt us to closely follow certain species of animals for determining pathogenic insult by SARS-CoV-2 and for determining their ability to act as a carrier and/or disseminator.