Using “omics” technologies to study the genomic architecture and underlying molecular mechanisms of susceptibility to claw horn disruption lesions (CHDL)

Prof Dirk Werling (primary)
Pathobiology and Population Sciences
Royal Veterinary College
Dr Androniki Psifidi (secondary)
Clinical Sciences and Services
Royal Veterinary College

Abstract

Lameness is a debilitating and painful condition, compromising considerably animal and human welfare. In dairy-cattle, the main cause of lameness is claw horn disruption lesions (CHDL) which affect one third of the animals. Initial genetic studies showed that the disease is heritable. Further “-omics” studies could provide new insights to mechanisms driving disease perturbation and facilitate disease control through breeding-programmes, novel DNA-tests and novel drug- and vaccine-target discovery. We will integrate genomics/transcriptomics/proteomics and applied cutting edge machine-learning and systems-biology approaches to investigate the genetic architecture and underlying molecular mechanisms of CHDL in order to develop new tools to control the disease.


References

1) Huxley J.N. Impact of lameness and claw lesions in cows on health and production. 2013. Liv. Science. 156: 64–70

2) Foditsch C et al. Lameness Prevalence and Risk Factors in Large Dairy Farms in Upstate New York. Model Development for the Prediction of Claw Horn Disruption Lesions. 2016. PLoS One. 2016 Jan 21;11(1):e0146718. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146718. eCollection 2016.

3) Murray R et al. Epidemiology of lameness in dairy cattle: description and analysis of foot lesions.1996. Veterinary Record 138: 586-591.

4) Oikonomou G et al. Genetic characterization of digital cushion thickness. 2014. J. Dairy Science 97: 532 -536.

5) Kougioumtzis A et al. Profile and genetic parameters of dairy cattle locomotion score and lameness across lactation. 2014. Animal 8(1):20-27.


BBSRC Area
Animal disease, health and welfare
Area of Biology
GeneticsImmunology
Techniques & Approaches
BioinformaticsGeneticsImage ProcessingMathematics / StatisticsMolecular Biology