Complete mitogenome reveals genetic divergence and phylogenetic relationships among Indian cattle (Bos indicus) breeds.

Indigenous cattle of India belong to the species, Bos indicus and they possess various adaptability and production traits. However, little is known about the genetic diversity and origin of these breeds. To investigate the status, we sequenced and analyzed the whole mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of seven Indian cattle breeds. In total, 49 single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) were identified among the seven breeds analyzed. We observed a common synonymous SNV in the COII gene (m.7583G > A) of all the breeds studied. The phylogenetic analysis and genetic distance estimation showed the close genetic relationship among the Indian cattle breeds, whereas distinct genetic differences were observed between Bos indicus and Bos taurus cattle. Our results indicate a common ancestor for European Zwergzebu breed and South Indian cattle. The estimated divergence time demonstrated that the Bos indicus and Bos taurus cattle lineages diverged 0.92 million years ago. Our study also demonstrates that ancestors of present zebu breeds originated in South and North India separately ∼30,000 to 20,000 years ago. In conclusion, the identified genetic variants and results of the phylogenetic analysis may provide baseline information to develop appropriate strategies for management and conservation of Indian cattle breeds.

Reinvestigating the status of malaria parasite (Plasmodium sp.) in Indian non-human primates.

Many human parasites and pathogens have closely related counterparts among non-human primates. For example, non-human primates harbour several species of malaria causing parasites of the genus Plasmodium. Studies suggest that for a better understanding of the origin and evolution of human malaria parasites it is important to know the diversity and evolutionary relationships of these parasites in non-human primates. Much work has been undertaken on malaria parasites in wild great Apes of Africa as well as wild monkeys of Southeast Asia however studies are lacking from South Asia, particularly India. India is one of the major malaria prone regions in the world and exhibits high primate diversity which in turn provides ideal setting for both zoonoses and anthropozoonoses. In this study we report the molecular data for malaria parasites from wild populations of Indian non-human primates. We surveyed 349 fecal samples from five different Indian non-human primates, while 94 blood and tissue samples from one of the Indian non-human primate species (Macaca radiata) and one blood sample from M. mulatta. Our results confirm the presence of P. fragile, P. inui and P. cynomolgi in Macaca radiata. Additionally, we report for the first time the presence of human malarial parasite, P. falciparum, in M. mulatta and M. radiata. Additionally, our results indicate that M. radiata does not exhibit population structure probably due to human mediated translocation of problem monkeys. Human mediated transport of macaques adds an additional level of complexity to tacking malaria in human. This issue has implications for both the spread of primate as well as human specific malarias.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Indian cattle (Bos indicus).

India has 40 distinct zebuine cattle breeds with different adaptability and production traits. In the present study, we report the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Indian cattle for the first time. The mitogenome contains 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, two ribosomal RNA genes and a control region (D-loop region). The phylogenetic analysis showed close genetic relationship among the Indian cattle breeds studied, where as, distinct genetic differences were observed between Bos indicus and Bos taurus cattle. Our results will expand genomic information for further studies on evolution, domestication and conservation of indigenous cattle breeds in India.