Browsing by Author "Okpeku, M."

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    APPLICATION OF MULTIVARIATE PRINCIPAL COMPONENT ANALYSIS TO MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF INDIGENOUS GOATS IN SOUTHERN NIGERIA.
    (Department of Animal Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2011-05-20) Yakubu, Abdulmojeed; Okpeku, M.; Peters, S.O; Ozoje, M.O; Ikeobi, C.O.N; Adebambo, O.A; Imumorin, I.G
    Phenotypic variation present in a population arises due to genotypic and environmental effects, and the magnitude of phenotypic variability differs under different environmental conditions, therefore, the purpose of this study was to objectively describe the linear type traits of extensively managed mature indigenous goats of Southern Nigeria and to predict body weight from their orthogonal shape characters using principal component analysis. Body weight and four body measurements namely, height at withers, neck length, body length and heart girth were measured in 265 randomly selected West African Dwarf (WAD) and Red Sokoto (RS) goats of both sexes. RS goats had significantly (P < 0.05) higher morphological traits compared to their WAD counterparts. Sexual dimorphism was observed in all the traits with higher values recorded for males. Phenotypic correlations among body weight and biometric traits were positive and highly significant (r = 0.76ā€“0.91 versus 0.82ā€“0.97 and 0.66ā€“0.94 versus 0.83ā€“0.91 for WAD and RS female and male goats, respectively). In the varimax rotated principal component factor analysis, two factors were extracted for each sex of the two breeds, although with varying degrees of factor loadings. The principal component based regression models, which are preferable for selecting animals for optimal balance, accounted for 89.00 and 96.00% as well as 81.00 and 91.00% of the variation in body weight of female and male WAD and RS goats, respectively. The information obtained could be useful in designing appropriate management, selection and breeding programmes for utilization of goat genetic resource
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    Evaluation of Polymorphisms at Heat Shock Protein 90 Gene by High Resolution Melting Assays for Potential Heat Tolerance among Nigerian Zebu Cattle Breeds
    (Department of Animal Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2020-03-14) Onasanya, Gbolabo O; Msalya, G.M; Thiruvenkadan, A.K; Sreekumar, C.; Tirumurugaan, G.K; Sanni, M.; Decampos, J.S; Amusan, A. S; Fafiolu, A.O; Olowofeso, Oladeji; Okpeku, M.; Yakubu, Abdulmojeed; Ikeobi, C.O.N
    Heat Shock Protein (HSP) 90 gene is a member of HSPs subfamily that act as molecular chaperons whenever animals come under thermal stress. The genes fulfill essential roles of providing cellular protection, immune response, protein synthesis, protein folding and unfolding, protection from cellular stress, inhibitory apoptosis and adaptation. This study was designed to analyze polymorphisms of HSP 90 and to evaluate their influence on heat tolerance among selected Nigerian zebu. The polymorphisms were also used to determine genetic relationship among the animals. About 450 bp of bovine HSP 90 including part of coding region in exon 3 was sequenced in 90 DNA samples representing four Nigerian zebu namely White Fulani (WF), Sokoto Gudali (SG), Red Bororo (RB) and Ambala (AM). Sequencing was done using an automated ABI-DNA Sequencer. Editing was accomplished using chromatogram analyses on SeqMan Ngen Tool. Rooted phylogenetic tree was constructed using MEGA 5.2 software. In total, 11 genetic variants were determined. Five of these (PRP, RED, ORG, LMN and YLO) were major variants detected in over 70% of the samples. Six (6) were classified as minor variants detected in two breeds or less and in 29.1% of the samples. The GRN and NBL were only detected in RB and SG breeds respectively. We found a shared homology and common ancestral lineage among the breeds. Furthermore, the genetic structure of Nigerian zebu has a common clade architecture to those of goats, sheep, yak, buffalo, camel, horse and other taurines. The gene is conserved among wide range of animals and as such it can serve as one of bio-markers for selection and breeding programmes for thermotolerance in wide range of livestock animals under thermal stress. The variant groups could be further interrogated for possible specific effects on thermotolerance performance of zebu in hot tropical environments.
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    Evolutionary study of HSP 90AA1gene among Nigerian zeb breeds of cattle revealed shared ancestry
    (Department of Animal Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2019-10-22) Yakubu, Abdulmojeed; Onasanya, Gbolabo O; Thiruvenkadan, Aranganoor K; Sreekumar, Chirukandoth; Tirumurugaan, Gopalan K.; Msalya, George M.; Muyideen, Sanni T.; Okpeku, M.; Ikeobi, C.O.N; Fafiolu, Adeboye O.; Olowofeso, Olajide
    Heat shock protein (HSP) 90AA1 gene is a member of HSPs sub-family that act as molecular chaperons whenever animals come under the assaults of thermal stress, they fulfill essential roles of providing cellular protection, immune response, inhibitory apoptosis and adaptation to thermal assault. A total of ninety (90) adult bulls from Nigerian Zebu cattle breeds comprising of White Fulani (25), Sokoto Gudali (21), Red Bororo (21) and Ambala (23) sampled from northern parts of Nigeria. We reported that rooted evolutionary study based on Neighbour-joining dendrogram of HSP 90AA1 sequences of White Fulani, Ambala, Sokoto Gudali and Red Bororo Nigerian Zebu breeds of cattle revealed that HSP 90AA1 sequences of four Nigerian cattle breed showed shared homology which is suggestive of common ancestral lineage. Similarly, nucleotide sequences of HSP 90AA1 gene in four Nigerian B. Indicus and those of goat, sheep, yak, buffalo, camel, horse and taurine were also constructed. Our results showed that sequences of Nigerian cattle breeds and those of goat, sheep, yak, buffalo, camel, horse and taurine at HSP 90AA1 gene locus suggested that these animals had shared ancestry and common evolution. Therefore, the extent of relatedness detected among Nigerian breeds of cattle and those of selected mammalian species indicated that HSP 90AA1 gene is conserved among wide range of animals and as such it can be used as potential bio-marker for thermo-tolerance in wide range of livestock animals under assaults of thermal stress. Keywords: HSP 90AA1 gene, thermal stress, phylogenetic analyses, cattle
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    GENE FLOW BETWEEN NIGERIAN SHEEP BREEDS AS REVEALED BY MICRO SATELLITE DNA MARKERS
    (Department of Animal Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2020-02-11) Yakubu, Abdulmojeeb; Agaviezor, B.0; Peters, S.O; Ajayi, F.O; Gunn, Hollingsheed H; Adefenwa, M.A; Adebambo, O.A; Ozoje, M.O; Ikeobi, C.O.N; Wheto, M.; Ajayi, O.O; Amusan, S.A; Ekundayo, J.O; Sanni, Timothy M; Okpeku, M.; Onasanya, Gbolabo O; Donato, Marcos De; Ilori, M.B; Kizilkaya, Kadir; Imumorin, I.G
    The presence and level of gene flow between the four major Nigerian sheep breeds (West African Dwarf (WAD), Yankasa, Balami and Uda) was assessed using microsatellite DNA markers. DNA was extracted from 50~1of whole blood using the ZymoBeadā„¢ Genomic DNA Kit The DNA was amplified by PCR in a MyCyclerā„¢ Thermal Cycler (Biorad, Hercules, CA) using 15microsatellite markers selected. DNA fragment analysis of microsatellite markers was carried out using the Applied BioSystems 3730xl DNA Analyzer (Applied Biosystems, Carlsbad, CA, USA). The level of gene flow or population structure was assessed by STRUCTURE software and barplots generated by DISTRUCT. At K=2, two clusters was constituted from breeds descending from Balami and Yankasa, both of which are from Northern region in Nigeria. At K=3 and K=4, one more cluster emerged and further analyses did not reveal any additional strong high level substructure, so separating the entire the entire datasets into 3 major clusters was chosen as the final configuration. There are however, several cases of adm ixtures in the genome of some of the individuals that constitute the cluster. Yankasa and Salami breed had more cases of admixtures followed by Udawhile the WAD was the least breed with cases of admixtures
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    Genetic diversity analysis of the mitochondrial D-loop of Nigerian indigenous sheep
    (Department of Animal Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2012-03-06) Agaviezor, B.O; Adefenwa, M.A; Peters, S.O; Yakubu, Abdulmojeed; Adebambo, O.A; Ozoje, M.O; Ikeobi, C.O.N; Ilori, B.M; Wheto, M.; Ajayi, O.O; Amusan, S.A; Okpeku, M.; Donato, M. De; Imumorin, I.G
    Indigenous livestock resources are strategic in the socio-economics of rural agricultural systems to ensure food security in resourcepoor countries. Therefore, better understanding of genetic variation holds the key to future utilization through conservation. We report the first analysis of genetic diversity of Nigerian sheep based on the D-loop region of the Ovis aries mitochondrial genome using 1 179 bases between sites 15 437 and 16 616 base pairs. A sample of 290 animals made up of Balami, West African Dwarf (WAD), Uda and Yankasa breeds were randomly collected from across Nigeria. Ninety-six haplotypes were observed with a high mean haplotype diversity of 0.899 Ā± 0.148. Gene diversity was highest in Uda (0.921 Ā± 0.021) and lowest in WAD (0.852 Ā± 0.061). Population specific FST indices varied from 0.00133 in Uda to 0.00335 in WAD. Yankasa had the highest number of polymorphic sites (201), while the least was in Uda (96). Analysis of molecular variance revealed that 0.23 percent of the variation is found among populations compared with 99.77 percent variation found within populations. The phylogenetic tree indicates that the mitochondrial lineages of these sheep breeds originated from a common source consistent with first divergence of Yankasa followed by WAD, while Balami and Uda remain more closely related. These results suggest that evolutionary divergence of Nigerian sheep breeds based on mitochondrial DNA D-loop sequence may be coincident with geographical distribution in Nigeria and suggest significant interbreeding. This could have implications for managing improvement and conservation strategies and long-term conservation of Nigerian indigenous sheep.
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    Heterozygous Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism Genotypes at Heat Shock Protein 70 Gene Potentially Influence Thermo-Tolerance Among Four Zebu Breeds of Nigeria
    (Department of Animal Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2021-12-15) Yakubu, Abdulmojeed; Onasanya, Gbolabo O; Msalya, George M.; Thiruvenkadan, A.K; Sreekumar, Chirukandoth; Tirumurugaan, Gopalan K.; Fafiolu, A.O; Adeleke, M.A; Ikeobi, C.O.N; Okpeku, M.
    Genetic variants at heat shock protein 70 gene and their influence on heat stress (HS) tolerance were studied among selected Nigeria zebu, namely, 25 White Fulani (WF), 21 Sokoto Gudali (SG), 21 Red Bororo (RB), and 23 Ambala (AM). Detection of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) followed by determination of genotype and genotypic frequency was made among the selected breeds. The heat tolerance coefficient (HTC) was determined from thermo-related parameters including body temperature, rectal temperature, and respiratory rate. Thermo-Tolerance was evaluated through the SNPā€“ thermo-parameter relationship. Statistical analyses were done using the GLM procedure in SAS. A quantitative real-time/high-resolution melting-based assay detected twelve genetic variants. Five of these were common and shared across all breeds of cattle. Of the remaining seven variants, three were specifically identified in AM, two in SG, and two in RB. Also, SNPs were evaluated and four unique SNPs (C151T, C146T, G90A, and C219A) were identified. Heterozygous animals had lower HTC suggesting their potential to withstand HS than homozygous counterparts. The WF and RB animals had significantly lower values for all parameters (BT, RT, RR, and HTC) compared to AM and SG breeds. Thermo-related parameters were significantly different (P < 0.001), and it is recommended that screening of SNPs in zebu is needed to enable selection for improved thermo-tolerance.
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    Principal Components as Measures of Size and Shape in Nigerian Indigenous Chickens
    (Department of Animal Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2009-01-14) Yakubu, Abdulmojeed; Kuje, D.; Okpeku, M.
    The study aimed at describing objectively the interdependence among the morphological traits of Nigerian indigenous chickens and to predict body weight from their orthogonal body shape characters using principal component factor analysis. Body weight and eight body measurements namely, comb height, comb length, beak length, body length, neck length, shank length, chest circumference, and thigh circumference were measured on 238 randomly selected adult chickens of three genetic groups. The birds were extensively managed in Nasarawa State, north central Nigeria. General linear model was used to study genotype and sex effects. Frizzled birds had higher beak length and lower neck length compared to their normal feathered and naked neck counterparts. Sexual dimorphism was observed in all the traits with higher values recorded for males. Phenotypic correlations among body weight and biometric traits were positive and highly significant (r = 0.56-0.91, 0.61-0.91 and 0.55-0.96; P<0.01 for normal feathered, naked neck and frizzled chickens respectively). In factor solution of the principal component analysis, with varimax rotation of the transformation matrix, three factors were identified in each of the genetic group (ratio of variance = 87.84, 90.60 and 89.20 for normal feathered, naked neck and frizzled chickens respectively). The first factor in each case accounted for the greatest percentage of the total variation, and was termed general size. The subsequent factors (indices of body shape) presented patterns of variation independent of general size. The principal component based regression models, which are preferable for selecting animals for optimal balance, accounted for 85, 84 and 87% of the variation in the body weight of normal feathered, naked neck and frizzled chickens respectively.
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    SINGLE NUCLEOTIDE POLYMORPHISM-BASE CHARACTERIZATION OF HSP 90A1A GENE IN SOME NIGERIAN CATTLE BREEDS.
    (Department of Animal Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2019-10-21) Onasanya, Gbolabo O; Thiruvenkadan, A.K; Sreekumar, C.; Tirumurugaan, G.K; Msalya, G.M; Sanni, Timothy M; Decampos, J.S; Amusan, A. S; Olowofeso, Oladeji; Fafiolu, A.O; Okpeku, M.; Yakubu, Abdulmojeed; Ikeobi, C.O.N
    Heat shock protein (HSP) 90 gene is a member of HSPs that act as molecular chaperons whenever animals come under thermal assault, they fulfill essential roles of providing cellular protection, immune response, protein synthesis, protein folding and unfolding, protection proteins from cellular stress, inhibitory apoptosis and adaptation during thermal assault. A total of ninety (90) adult bulls from across four extant breeds of Nigerian Zebu cattle comprising of White Fulani (25), Sokoto Gudali (21), Red Bororo (21) and Ambala (23) sampled from northern parts of Nigeria. Genomic DNA was extracted from 90 animal skin tissue samples and was subjected to polymerase chain analyses followed by sequencing of the PCR products for detection SNPs of HSP 90 gene in four Nigerian breeds of cattle. Single Nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the nucleotide sequences of four Nigerian bovine HSP90 gene of were visualised detected and bio-edited by chromatogram analyses using SeqMan Ngen Tool (DNASTARĀ®, Inc., Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A). We pioneered a preliminary single nucleotide polymorphism study of HSP 90 gene for the first time in Nigerian zebu cattle. Sequence data detected 6 SNP loci within the coding region of exon 1 of HSP 90 gene which includes: 2 Indels (White Fulani: Del384C i.e. insertion of C at 384th base position and Red Bororo: Del355G i.e. insertion of G at 355th base position), 1 transversion (Sokoto Gudali: C112A) and 3 transitions (White Fulani: G390A, Red Bororo: T55C and C190T).We therefore, hypothesize that the detected SNPs should further be associated thermo-tolerance traits to unravel their possible effect on thermal-tolerance performance, adaptability and susceptibility of different Nigerian cattle breeds to environmental stress load and thermal assaults of tropical conditions
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    Single nucleotide polymorphisms at heat shock protein 90 gene and their association with thermo-tolerance potential in selected indigenous Nigerian cattle
    (Department of Animal Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2020-06-28) Yakubu, Abdulmojeed; Onasanya, Gbolabo O; Msalya, G.M; Thiruvenkadan, A.K; Sreekumar, Chirukandoth; Tirumurugaan, Gopalan K.; Okpeku, M.; Sanni, Timothy M; Decampos, J.S; Amusan, S.A; Olowofeso, Oladeji; Fafiolu, A.O; Ikeobi, C.O.N
    Heat shock protein (HSP) 90 gene provides protection and adaptation to thermal assault and certain polymorphisms have been associated to heat tolerance in humans and animals. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of HSP 90 gene were used to evaluate the scientific basis of heat tolerance in four zebu breeds of Nigeria. The DNA was extracted from skin tissue of 90 adult bulls representing White Fulani (WF), Sokoto Gudali (SG), Red Bororo (RB), and Ambala (AM). The SNPs were determined in DNAs using PCR, sequencing, and visualization and bio-editing by chromatogram in SeqMan Ngen tool. Subsequently, respective genotypes were constructed and genotypic and allelic frequencies were computed. Also, body parameters related to heat stress (HS) including body temperature (BT), rectal temperature (RT), and respiratory rates (RR) were taken for each animal before biological sampling and heat tolerance coefficient (HTC) was calculated. We detected four SNPs distinct/specific for each breed as follows: change from thymine (T) to guanine (G) at position 116 (T116G) in RB, G to cytosine (C) at 220 (G220C) in SG, G to adenine (A) at two positions, 346 (G346A) and 390 (G390A) in AM and WF, respectively. Heterozygous SNPs showed significantly lower values (P < 0.0001) for BT, RT, RR, and HTC than homozygous genotypes at all positions.We hypothesize that animals with heterozygous SNPs in exon 3 of HSP 90 may be tolerant to HS. These SNPs can be used as bio-markers for screening large populations of cattle for tolerance to hot tropical conditions in Nigeria and other sub-humid places.