"It includes a review of the state of the art in animal genomics and its applications to animal health. The contributions describe the new tools available, such as HapMaps for chicken and cattle, and show how the understanding of gene structure and function can be successfully applied to delineate the molecular mechanisms of disease and determine complex phenotypes associated with health traits. A critical evaluation of future needs and future applications of animal genomics is also presented. The integration of animal genomics in animal health research is likely to revolutionize the way scientists approach the challenges of discovering highly effective drugs and vaccines for animal diseases."--BOOK JACKET.

This Book of Abstracts is the main publication of the 70th Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science (EAAP). It contains abstracts of the invited papers and contributed presentations of the sessions of EAAP's eleven Commissions: Animal Genetics, Animal Nutrition, Animal Management and Health, Animal Physiology, Cattle Production, Sheep and Goat Production, Pig Production, Horse Production and Livestock Farming Systems, Insects and Precision Livestock Farming.

Salmonella enteritidis (SE) contamination of poultry products is a major cause of food-borne disease worldwide. The candidate gene approach for identification of quantitative trait loci (QTL) for chicken response to Salmonella enteritidis (SE) was applied in the current study. The Iowa Salmonella Response Resource Population (ISRRP), formed by crossing outbred broiler sires with three diverse, highly inbred dam lines (two major histocompatibility complex-congenic Leghorn lines G-B1 and G-B2 and one Fayoumi line) was studied. The F1 generation was evaluated as young chicks for either bacterial load in spleen and cecum after pathogenic SE inoculation, or antibody level after SE vaccination. The unique cross between genetically distant parental lines generated a high level of genetic variation, which had the advantage of improving the detection of linkage between markers and QTL. The use of multiple dam lines allowed detection of interaction of sire alleles with the genes of different dam lines. Because the founder lines were genetically distinct and the dam lines are highly inbred (with inbreeding coefficient 99%), the F1 generation was informative for all loci that were heterozygous in the sire. The natural-resistance associated macrophage protein 1 (NRAMP1), the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and class II, caspase-1, and the inhibitor of apoptosis proteins 1 (1AP-1) were selected as candidate gene based on their biological functions. Prosaposin was selected as a positional candidate gene based on a previous linkage disequilibrium analysis for identification of QTL using the same population. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of these candidate genes were identified by comparing the sequences of all four sires and two dams from each dam-line. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism or single-strand conformational polymorphism, and base excision sequence scanning -T Scan analyses were applied to genotype all F1 offspring of heterozygous sires for each candidate gene. All the candidate genes were associated with bacterial load (in spleen and cecum) after challenge with SE or antibody response to SE vaccination in ISRRP or both. These genes are, therefore, strong potential candidates for application in marker-assisted selection to improve genetic resistance to disease or enhance vaccine efficacy in breeding populations.

Vols. for 1963- include as pt. 2 of the Jan. issue: Medical subject headings.

Proceedings of the seventh biennial conference of the Australian Pig Science Association held in Adelaide in November 1999. Gives an overview of research and development in pig-related issues and discusses topics such as variations in pig production and performance, nutritive value of pig food, development and implementation of genetic improvement technologies in pig breeding, meat quality and body composition and utilisation of pig waste material. Includes references and author index.