DNA Pool Analysis-based Forgery-Detection of Dairy Products

Food integrity and food safety have received much attention in recent years due to the dramatic increasing number of food frauds. In this article we focus on the problem of dairy products traceability. In particular, we propose an automatic forgery detection system able to detect frauds in milk and cheese. We investigate the use of Short Tandem Repeats analysis data, processed by a Covariance Matrix Adaptation Evolution Strategy algorithm in order to evaluate a traceability score between the products and their producer, and to highlight possible adulterations and inconsistencies. To demonstrate the usability of the proposed heuristic algorithm in a real setup, we also present the results collected from two real Italian farms

State-of-the-art review of goat TSE in the European Union, with special emphasis on PRNP genetics and epidemiology

Scrapie is a fatal, neurodegenerative disease of sheep and goats. It is also the earliest known member in the family of diseases classified as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) or prion diseases, which includes Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), and chronic wasting disease in cervids. The recent revelation of naturally occurring BSE in a goat has brought the issue of TSE in goats to the attention of the public. In contrast to scrapie, BSE presents a proven risk to humans. The risk of goat BSE, however, is difficult to evaluate, as our knowledge of TSE in goats is limited. Natural caprine scrapie has been discovered throughout Europe, with reported cases generally being greatest in countries with the highest goat populations. As with sheep scrapie, susceptibility and incubation period duration of goat scrapie are most likely controlled by the prion protein (PrP) gene (PRNP). Like the PRNP of sheep, the caprine PRNP shows significantly greater variability than that of cattle and humans. Although PRNP variability in goats differs from that observed in sheep, the two species share several identical alleles. Moreover, while the ARR allele associated with enhancing resistance in sheep is not present in the goat PRNP, there is evidence for the existence of other PrP variants related to resistance. This review presents the current knowledge of the epidemiology of caprine scrapie within the major European goat populations, and compiles the current data on genetic variability of PRNP

Conversion of the BASE Prion Strain into the BSE Strain: The Origin of BSE?

Atypical neuropathological and molecular phenotypes of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) have recently been identified in different countries. One of these phenotypes, named bovine “amyloidotic” spongiform encephalopathy (BASE), differs from classical BSE for the occurrence of a distinct type of the disease-associated prion protein (PrP), termed PrP(Sc), and the presence of PrP amyloid plaques. Here, we show that the agents responsible for BSE and BASE possess different biological properties upon transmission to transgenic mice expressing bovine PrP and inbred lines of nontransgenic mice. Strikingly, serial passages of the BASE strain to nontransgenic mice induced a neuropathological and molecular disease phenotype indistinguishable from that of BSE-infected mice. The existence of more than one agent associated with prion disease in cattle and the ability of the BASE strain to convert into the BSE strain may have important implications with respect to the origin of BSE and spongiform encephalopathies in other species, including humans

A multidisciplinary approach to estimating wolf population size for long-term conservation

publishedVersio

Characterization of amyloid-\u3b2 deposits in bovine brains

Amyloid-\u3b2 (A\u3b2) deposits are seen in aged individuals of many mammalian species that possess the same aminoacid sequence as humans. This study describes A\u3b2 deposition in 102 clinically characterized cattle brains from animals aged 0 to 20 years. Extracellular and intracellular A\u3b2 deposition was detected with 4G8 antibody in the cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum. X-34 staining failed to stain A\u3b2 deposits, indicating the non \u3b2-pleated nature of these deposits. Western blot analysis and surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (SELDI-TOF) mass spectrometry revealed in Tris, Triton, and formic acid fractions the presence of different A\u3b2 peptides, characterized mainly by C-terminally truncated forms. Exploration of the genetic variability of APOE, PSEN1, and PSEN2 genes involved in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis revealed several previously unreported polymorphisms. This study demonstrates certain similarities between A\u3b2 deposition patterns exhibited in cattle brains and those in the human brain in early stages of aging. Furthermore, the identification of the same A\u3b2 peptides reported in humans, but unable to form aggregates, supports the hypothesis that cattle may be protected against amyloid plaque formation

Evaluation of two sets of immunohistochemical and Western blot confirmatory methods in the detection of typical and atypical BSE cases

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Three distinct forms of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), defined as classical (C-), low (L-) or high (H-) type, have been detected through ongoing active and passive surveillance systems for the disease.</p> <p>The aim of the present study was to compare the ability of two sets of immunohistochemical (IHC) and Western blot (WB) BSE confirmatory protocols to detect C- and atypical (L- and H-type) BSE forms.</p> <p>Obex samples from cases of United States and Italian C-type BSE, a U.S. H-type and an Italian L-type BSE case were tested in parallel using the two IHC sets and WB methods.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The two IHC techniques proved equivalent in identifying and differentiating between C-type, L-type and H-type BSE. The IHC protocols appeared consistent in the identification of PrP^Scdistribution and deposition patterns in relation to the BSE type examined. Both IHC methods evidenced three distinct PrP^Scphenotypes for each type of BSE: prevailing granular and linear tracts pattern in the C-type; intraglial and intraneuronal deposits in the H-type; plaques in the L-type.</p> <p>Also, the two techniques gave comparable results for PrP^Scstaining intensity on the C- and L-type BSE samples, whereas a higher amount of intraglial and intraneuronal PrP^Scdeposition on the H-type BSE case was revealed by the method based on a stronger demasking step.</p> <p>Both WB methods were consistent in identifying classical and atypical BSE forms and in differentiating the specific PrP^Scmolecular weight and glycoform ratios of each form.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The study showed that the IHC and WB BSE confirmatory methods were equally able to recognize C-, L- and H-type BSE forms and to discriminate between their different immunohistochemical and molecular phenotypes. Of note is that for the first time one of the two sets of BSE confirmatory protocols proved effective in identifying the L-type BSE form. This finding helps to validate the suitability of the BSE confirmatory tests for BSE surveillance currently in place.</p

A case study on the labeling of bottarga produced in Sardinia from ovaries of grey mullets (Mugil cephalus and Mugil capurrii) caught in Eastern Central Atlantic coasts

The aim of this case study is to show how traditional and molecular methods can be employed to identify the Mugilidae species currently used in Sardinia (Italy) to produce the traditional bottarga for the processing of their ovaries. A total of six specimens of Mugil cephalus (n=3) and Mugil capurrii (n=3) were subjected to external morphology and meristic measurements. Subsequently, tissue samples of white muscle and ovaries from three individuals per species were underwent PCR-sequencing assay of mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI). The external morphology and meristic characters showed a sufficient level of reliability in the identification between the two species. At the same time, the molecular techniques showed the discriminatory power and confirmed the correct species identification in all the sampling units. DNA barcoding may be an effective aid to traditional taxonomy and can facilitate accurate species identification among the Mugilidae

FIRST RECORD OF THE CISALPINE PIKE ESOX CISALPINUS BIANCO & DELMASTRO, 2011 IN LIGURIA (NW ITALY): FUTURE STUDIES AND STORAGE PERSPECTIVES

The first record of the cisalpine pike Esox cisalpinus Bianco & Delmastro 2011 in the lower Magra River Basin (E Liguria, NW Italy) is reported. The finding of a dead pike specimen in a fyke net in Laghi Gemelli inside the Montemarcello-Magra-Vara Natural Park holds conservation and management implications for the distribution and definition of native fish communities within ichthyological districts in Italy in view of application of the European Water Framework Directiv

FIRST RECORD OF THE CISALPINE PIKE ESOX CISALPINUS BIANCO & DELMASTRO, 2011 IN LIGURIA (NW ITALY): FUTURE STUDIES AND STORAGE PERSPECTIVES

The first record of the cisalpine pike Esox cisalpinus Bianco & Delmastro 2011 in the lower Magra River Basin (E Liguria, NW Italy) is reported. The finding of a dead pike specimen in a fyke net in Laghi Gemelli inside the Montemarcello-Magra-Vara Natural Park holds conservation and management implications for the distribution and definition of native fish communities within ichthyological districts in Italy in view of application of the European Water Framework Directiv