Browsing by Author "Martin, Alison"

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    Alloantigen systems and resistance to Eimeria tenella and Newcastle-B1 in chickens selected for response to sheep erythrocytes
    Martin, Alison (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1985)
    Chickens from lines selected for high (HA) and low (LA) antibody response to sheep red blood cell (SRBC) antigen were Used to study the role of genetic factors involved in resistance to Eimeria tenella and Newcastle disease virus (NDV). Routes of administration were intravenous for SRBC antigen and intranasal for NDV. Chicks were exposed to E. tenella either through a natural challenge via the litter or a controlled oral administration. Differences between lines were observed in resistance to cecal coccidiosis, with line HA chicks being more resistant than those from line LA. Results were similar. for both natural and controlled exposures, Differences in resistance to E. tenella were found among alleles for the I alloystern with degree of additivity from the I⁴ allele on resistance depending on the background genome. Chicks from line HA exhibited higher antibody titers to SRBC and lower titers to NDV than did those from line LA. This pattern was the same regardless of whether antigens were given together or alone. Correlations within lines for birds which received both antigens were positive and significant in line HA and not different from zero in line LA. When NDV was given at the time birds received a booster dose of SRBC, antibody titers for NDV and for primary and booster SRBC were higher in. line HA than line LA. Correlations between all titers were positive and significant in both lines. The data suggest that relationships between titers for SRBC and NDV are influenced by both genetic and nongenetic factors.
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    Conservation Strategies for Local Breed Biodiversity
    Sponenberg, D. Phillip; Martin, Alison; Couch, Charlene; Beranger, Jeannette (MDPI, 2019-09-27)
    Breeds of domesticated animals are often overlooked as contributing to biodiversity. Their unique role at the junction of natural and human-influenced environments makes them important potential contributors to biodiversity and ecosystem function. Effective conservation of livestock breeds rests upon valid recognition of breeds as repeatable genomic packages with a reasonably high level of predictability for performance. Local or landrace breeds that lack breeder organization are especially difficult to conserve due to lack of formal recognition as breeds. Achieving success with them involves three major steps: Discover, Secure, and Sustain. Early in the process an evaluation of candidate populations for status as genetic resources is essential. This process is aided by a phenotypic matrix which can be used alongside historical investigations and genetic (DNA) studies. The goal is to include all qualifying animals and to exclude all those that do not qualify. Securing some populations depends on careful rescue protocols for maximizing the recovery of genetic variation, and this can then be followed by breeding protocols that provide for maintaining the population’s production potential along with a healthy and viable genetic structure for long-term survival and use. Sustaining breeds for the long term is also enabled by assuring market demand for the breed and its products.
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    Genetics, immunoresponsiveness, and disease resistance in chickens
    Martin, Alison (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1989)
    The experiments reported in this dissertation explored the effects of selection for antibody response on other immunological measures and on production traits. The role of thyroid hormones in antibody response was also studied. Selection for high (HA) and low (LA) antibody response to sheep erythrocytes altered subclasses of antibodies in different ways. In line LA antibody response was primarily mercaptoethanol-susceptible (IgM), while the line HA response was primarily mercaptoethanol-resistant antibody (IgG). Sublines of HA and LA were developed with all possible combinations of major histocompatibility complex haplotypes B¹³ and B²¹. An experiment was conducted to test Marek’s disease resistance of these haplotypes in line LA. Mortality from a natural exposure was high for all three groups, and there was no difference among haplotypes. Correlated responses of growth and reproductive traits in lines HA and LA were due to genetic correlations with antibody response. These genetic correlations were generally negative and are suggestive of differential allocation of resources. Phenotypic correlations were generally very small. Changes in allelic frequencies at alloantigen systems were also observed in response to selection. Experiments designed to study the role of thyroid hormones on antibody responses showed no direct relationship. Chickens from lines HA and LA fed thiouracil exhibited hypothyroidism but did not differ from controls in antibody response. Differences in thyroid hormone concentrations between lines of dwarf and non-dwarf White Rocks selected for high and low juvenile body weight bore no relationship to differences in antibody responses.