Failure to find an association between class I antigens of the bovine major histocompatibility system and faecal worm egg counts

doi:10.1016/0020-7519(88)90129-4

International Journal for Parasitology

Volume 18, Issue 6, September 1988, Pages 859-861

https://doi.org/10.1016/0020-7519(88)90129-4 Get rights and content

Abstract

Faecal worm egg counts were taken on four occasions from 204 heifers at Brigalow and on seven occasions from 91 bulls at Mt. Eugene. The repeatability of worm egg counts was 0.33 ± 0.10 at Brigalow and 0.39 ± 0.05 at Mt. Eugene (estimate ± standard error). The heritability ± standard error, which could be calculated for the Brigalow data only, of a single count was 0.31 ±0.11. The heritability ± standard error of the mean of four counts was 0.63 ± 0.27. Fourteen antigens of the major histocompatibility system were present in sufficient heifers and 10 antigens in sufficient bulls for their association with worm egg counts to be assessed. Only one antigen, W 16, was significantly associated with worm egg counts. However, this association was probably due to the fortuitous presence of Wl 6 in a resistant sire.

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Detecting some of the genes that influence disease resistance would improve our understanding of the processes that cause disease and also simplify disease control. Genes within the major histocompatibility complex (mhc) are strong candidates for disease resistance and they have been intensely studied for the last 30 years. Recently, several groups working independently have reported the existence of alleles within the mhc that are associated with enhanced resistance to nematode infection. This article uses hindsight to describe some of the potential pitfalls that hinder the search for valid disease resistance genes. The search requires a good understanding of disease biology, molecular genetics, statistical genetics and especially, the design and analysis of experiments. The power to detect mhc effects is quite low and is quite sensitive to the frequency of the putative resistance alleles.
An ovine Major histocompatibility complex DRB1 allele is associated with low faecal egg counts following natural, predominantly Ostertagia circumcincta infection
1995, International Journal for Parasitology
Infection with Ostertagia circumcincta is a major constraint on sheep production in temperate areas of the world. A potential control strategy is the use of genetically resistant sheep. Therefore we examined the association between MHC-DRB1 alleles and faecal egg counts following natural, predominately O. circumcincta infection in a flock of Scottish Blackface sheep. Nineteen DRB1 alleles were identified by a combination of variation in the length of simple repetitive sequences within the intron between exons 2 and 3 and hybridisation of selected oligonucleotides to polymorphisms within exon 2. Faecal samples were taken from 200 lambs from one to six months of age at intervals of 4 weeks. Genetic effects were strongest at 6 months of age. Least-squares analysis indicated that substitution of the most common allele (I) by allele G2 would result in a 58-fold reduction in faecal egg counts in 6-month-old lambs and a 22-fold reduction in 5-month-old lambs. These results suggest that the major histocompatibility complex plays an important role in the development of resistance to O. circumcincta.
The repeatability of faecal egg counts, peripheral eosinophil counts, and plasma pepsinogen concentrations during deliberate infections with Ostertagia circumcincta
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Faecal egg counts, peripheral blood eosinophil counts and plasma pepsinogen concentrations were monitored during 2 successive, deliberate infections in 24 Scottish Blackface sheep. For all 3 techniques, the repeatability of replicate counts or of measurements made at short intervals were high which suggests that all 3 assays were reliable. Within an infection the repeatability of different samples from the same animal decreased as the interval between samples increased. The repeatability between infections was only moderate for faecal egg counts but high for peripheral eosinophil counts and plasma pepsinogen concentrations. Of the 3 variables, faecal egg count was the most strongly associated with the worm burden. Together, the three variables accounted for, in a statistical sense, one half of the variation in worm burden. The three variables, if measured concurrently, should provide a more effective identification of resistant and susceptible lambs.
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Natural infestations of the cattle tick Boophilus microplus, levels of the buffalo fly Haematobia irritants exigua and faecal nematode egg concentrations (Bunostomum phlebotomum, Cooperia spp., Haemonchus placei, Oesophagostomum radiatum and Trichostrongylus axei) were assessed in 221 Belmont Red calves during the post-weaning period, when the animals were between 9 and 18 months of age. In addition, the 98 males of this group were challenged with B. microplus larvae on two separate occasions. There were strong positive correlations among replicate assessments of the same parasite. Field tick counts and tick counts following deliberate challenge were strongly correlated, and both showed negative correlations with post-weaning weight gain. There was a weak positive correlation between buffalo fly counts and post-weaning weight gain. there was a negative correlation between total worm egg count and weight gain. Among worm species, only the effect of O. radiatum on weight gain was significant. Cattle with bovine major histocompatibility (BoLA) antigens W6.1 and W7 had significantly fewer ticks than cattle lacking these antigens. Cattle with BoLA antigens W7 and CA36 had lower concentrations of nematode eggs in their faeces than cattle lacking these BoLA antigens.

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International Journal for Parasitology

Abstract

References (13)

Trichinella spiralis: genetic basis for differential expression of phase-specific intestinal immunity in inbred mice

Experimental Parasitology

An association between a lymphocyte antigen in sheep and the response to vaccination against the parasite Trichostrongylus colubriformis

International Journal for Parasitology

An analysis of different cattle genotypes reared in different environments

Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge

Genes within the major histocompatibility complex of the guinea pig influence susceptibility to Trichostrongylus colubriformis infection

Parasitology

The differentiation of the infective larvae of some common nematode parasites of cattle

Australian Journal of Zoology

Cited by (9)

Detection of genes with moderate effects on disease resistance using ovine mhc and resistance to nematodes as an example

An ovine Major histocompatibility complex DRB1 allele is associated with low faecal egg counts following natural, predominantly Ostertagia circumcincta infection

The repeatability of faecal egg counts, peripheral eosinophil counts, and plasma pepsinogen concentrations during deliberate infections with Ostertagia circumcincta

Genetic resistance to parasitic disease: particularly of resistance in ruminants to gastrointestinal nematodes

Breeding cattle and sheep for resistance to gastrointestinal nematodes

The relationships among ecto- and endoparasite levels, class I antigens of the bovine major histocompatibility system, immunoglobulin E levels and weight gain

Research noteFailure to find an association between class I antigens of the bovine major histocompatibility system and faecal worm egg counts

Abstract

Experimental Parasitology

International Journal for Parasitology

An analysis of different cattle genotypes reared in different environments

Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge

Genes within the major histocompatibility complex of the guinea pig influence susceptibility to Trichostrongylus colubriformis infection

Parasitology

The differentiation of the infective larvae of some common nematode parasites of cattle

Australian Journal of Zoology

Research note
Failure to find an association between class I antigens of the bovine major histocompatibility system and faecal worm egg counts