Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Reproduction and robustness traits are integral in ensuring sustainable, efficient and profitable sheep farming. Increases in genetic gain of reproduction and robustness traits are however, hampered by low heritability coupled with the difficulty in quantification of these traits for traditional selective breeding strategies. The aim of the current study was therefore to identify genomic regions underlying variation in reproduction traits and elucidate quantitative trait loci (QTL) and/or genes associated with reproductive traits. The Elsenburg Merino flock has been divergently selected for the ability to raise multiple offspring and has resulted in a High and a Low line that differ markedly with regard to reproductive output and other robustness traits. The flock thus served as an ideal platform to identify genomic regions subject to selection for reproductive traits. To pinpoint genomic regions subject to selection, a whole-genome genotyping platform, the OvineSNP50 chip, was selected to determine the genotype of more than 50 000 SNPs spread evenly across the ovine genome. The utility of the OvineSNP50 chip was determined for the Elsenburg Merino flock as well as additional South African Merino samples and three other important South African sheep breeds, the Blackheaded Dorper, South African Mutton Merino (SAMM) and the Namaqua Afrikaner. Although genotyping analysis of the Elsenburg Merino flock indicated some signs of poor genotype quality, the overall utility of the genotype data were successfully demonstrated for the South African Merino and the other two commercial breeds, the Dorper and SAMM. Genotyping results of the Namaqua Afrikaner and possibly other indigenous African breeds may be influenced by SNP ascertainment bias due to the limited number of indigenous African breeds used during SNP discovery. Analysis of pedigree, phenotypic records and SNP genotype data of the Elsenburg Merino cohort used in the current study, confirmed that the lines are phenotypically as well as genetically distinct. Numerous putative genomic regions subject to selection were identified by either an FST outlier approach or a genomic scan for regions of homozygosity (ROH) in the High and Low lines. Although annotated genes with putative roles in reproduction were identified, the exact mechanism of involvement with variation in reproduction traits could not be determined for all regions and genes. Putative ROH overlapped with QTL for several reproduction, milk, production and parasite resistance traits, and sheds some light on the possible function of these regions. The overlap between QTL for production and parasite resistance with putative ROH may indicate that several, seemingly unrelated traits add to the net-reproduction and may have been indirectly selected in the Elsenburg Merino flock. A SNP genotyping panel based solely on reproduction traits may therefore be ineffective to capture the variation in all traits influencing reproduction and robustness traits. A holistic selection strategy taking several important traits, such as robustness, reproduction and production into account may as such be a more effective strategy to breed animals with the ability to produce and reproduce more efficiently and thereby ensure profitable and sustainable sheep farming in South Africa. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Reproduksie- en gehardheids-eienskappe is noodsaaklik om volhoubare, doeltreffende en winsgewende skaapboerdery te verseker. ‘n Toename in genetiese vordering in reproduksie- en gehardheids-eienskappe word egter bemoeilik deur lae oorerflikhede tesame met die probleme in kwantifisering van hierdie eienskappe vir tradisionele selektiewe diereteelt strategieë. Die doel van die huidige studie was dus om gebiede in die genoom onderliggend tot variasie in reproduksie-eienskappe te identifiseer en die rol van verwante kwantitatiewe eienskap loki (KEL) en/of gene met reproduktiewe eienskappe te bepaal. Die Elsenburg Merinokudde is uiteenlopend geselekteer vir die vermoë om meerlinge groot te maak en het gelei tot 'n Hoë en 'n Lae lyn wat merkbaar verskil ten opsigte van reproduksie-uitsette en ander gehardheids-eienskappe. Die kudde het dus gedien as 'n ideale platform om genomiese areas onderhewig aan seleksie vir reproduksie-eienskappe te identifiseer. Om vas te stel waar genomiese areas onderhewig aan seleksie gevind kan word, is ‘n heel-genoom genotiperingsplatform, die OvineSNP50 skyfie, gekies om die genotipes van meer as 50 000 enkel nukleotied polimorfismes (ENPs) eweredig versprei oor die skaap genoom, te bepaal. Die nut van die OvineSNP50 skyfie is bepaal vir die Elsenburg Merinokudde sowel as addisionele Suid-Afrikaanse Merinos en drie ander belangrike Suid-Afrikaanse skaaprasse, die Swartkop Dorper, Suid-Afrikaanse Vleismerino (SAVM) en die Namakwa Afrikaner. Hoewel genotipe resultate van die Elsenburg Merino kudde sommige tekens van swak genotipe gehalte getoon het, kon die algehele nut van die genotipering resultate vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Merino en die ander twee kommersiële rasse, die Dorper en SAVM, bevestig word. Genotipering resultate van die Namakwa Afrikaner en moontlik ook ander inheemse Afrika rasse kan deur ENP vasstellingspartydigheid beïnvloed word as gevolg van die beperkte aantal inheemse Afrika rasse gebruik tydens ENP ontdekking. Ontleding van stamboom inligting, fenotipe rekords en ENP genotipe data van die Elsenburg Merino-kohort gebruik in die huidige studie, het bevestig dat die lyne fenotipies asook geneties verskil. Talle vermeende genomiese areas onderhewig aan seleksie is geïdentifiseer deur 'n FST uitskieter benadering of deur ‘n genomiese skandering vir gebiede van homogositeit (GVH) in die Hoë en Lae lyne. Hoewel geannoteerde gene met potensiële rolle in reproduksie geïdentifiseer is, kan die presiese meganisme van betrokkenheid by variasie in reproduksie-eienskappe nie bevestig word vir al die gebiede en gene nie. Vermeende GVH oorvleuel met KEL vir 'n paar reproduksie-, melk-, produksie- en parasietweerstand-eienskappe, en werp daarom lig op die moontlike funksie van hierdie gebiede. Die oorvleueling tussen KEL vir produksie en parasietweerstand met vermeende GVH kan daarop dui dat 'n hele paar, skynbaar onverwante, eienskappe bydrae tot net-reproduksie, wat indirek geselekteer mag wees in die Elsenburg Merino-kudde. ‘n ENP genotiperingspaneel uitsluitlik gebaseer op reproduksie-eienskappe mag daarom onvoldoende wees om die variasie in alle eienskappe wat betrekking het op reproduksie- en gehardheids-eienskappe, in te sluit. ‘n Holistiese seleksie strategie wat verskeie belangrike eienskappe, soos gehardheid, reproduksie en produksie in ag neem, mag ‘n meer effektiewe strategie wees om diere te teel met die vermoë om in 'n meer doeltreffende manier te produseer en reproduseer en om daardeur winsgewende en volhoubare skaapboerdery in Suid-Afrika te verseker.

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / Reference single nucleotide polymorphism (refSNP) identifiers are used to earmark SNPs in the human genome. These identifiers are often found in variant call format (VCF) files. RefSNPs can be useful to include as terms submitted to search engines when sourcing biomedical literature. In this thesis, the development of a bioinformatics software package is motivated, planned and implemented as a web application (http://sniphunter.sanbi.ac.za) with an application programming interface (API). The purpose is to allow scientists searching for relevant literature to query a database using refSNP identifiers and potential keywords assigned to scientific literature by the authors. Multiple queries can be simultaneously launched using either the web interface or the API. In addition, a VCF file parser was developed and packaged with the application to allow users to upload, extract and write information from VCF files to a file format that can be interpreted by the novel search engine created during this project. The parsing feature is seamlessly integrated with the web application's user interface, meaning there is no expectation on the user to learn a scripting language. This multi-faceted software system, called SNiPhunter, envisions saving researchers time during life sciences literature procurement, by suggesting articles based on the amount of times a reference SNP identifier has been mentioned in an article. This will allow the user to make a quantitative estimate as to the relevance of an article. A second novel feature is the inclusion of the email address of a correspondence author in the results returned to the user, which promotes communication between scientists. Moreover, links to external functional information are provided to allow researchers to examine annotations associated with their reference SNP identifier of interest. Standard information such as digital object identifiers and publishing dates, that are typically provided by other search engines, are also included in the results returned to the user. / National Research Foundation (NRF) /The South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI)

Submitted by Irene Nascimento (irene.kessia@ufpe.br) on 2016-06-28T18:09:11Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) dissertação Kamila_04.02.16 versao final completa.pdf: 2092777 bytes, checksum: 9e9782d9821d10b1a59b8f2a1a1ca8f7 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-28T18:09:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) dissertação Kamila_04.02.16 versao final completa.pdf: 2092777 bytes, checksum: 9e9782d9821d10b1a59b8f2a1a1ca8f7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-10-10 / CAPES / O processo inflamatório associado à liberação de citocinas está diretamente envolvido na patogênese da artrite reumatóide (AR). Um estudo anterior do nosso grupo relatou que pacientes com AR apresentaram níveis elevados da citocina IL-22 em relação aos controles e este aumento foi associado a um pior quadro clinico. Polimorfismos em interleucinas ou nos receptores específicos podem modificá-los funcionalmente, e assim, contribuir para o desenvolvimento da AR. O objetivo deste estudo foi identificar polimorfismos no receptor da citocina IL-22 que possam estar associados ao risco de desenvolver AR. Cento e trinta e oito portadores de AR foram recrutados pelo Serviço de Reumatologia do HC - UFPE, cumprindo os critérios do Colégio Americano de Reumatologia foram genotipados para os polimorfismos no IL22RA1 (rs4292900 e rs10794665) através da metodologia TaqMan®; o grupo controle foi formado por cento e vinte e oito indivíduos sadios. Os SNPs foram identificados por meio de consulta ao site HapMap, com uma frequência do alelo menor (MAF) de pelo menos 0,1% em caucasianos. Todas as frequências genéticas foram verificadas quanto ao equilíbrio de Hardy-Weinberg e a comparação das proporções foi realizada através do qui-quadrado (X²) ou teste exato de Fisher. Resultados: O genótipo TT (rs4292900) foi significativamente associado a AR quando comparados aos controles (37.79% e 21.36%, respectivamente, p=0,0054, odds ratio=2.23). Os pacientes heterozigotos CT e homozigotos TT para o polimorfismo rs4292900 apresentaram níveis significativamente elevados da citocina IL-22 comparados ao homozigoto CC (p=0.0018 e p=0.0324, respectivamente). Quanto aos parâmetros clínicos o genótipo CT (rs4292900) apresentou valores maiores do índice de atividade da doença (CDAI) comparado aos homozigotos; o mesmo ocorreu com o rs1079466. Observamos que os indivíduos TT para o rs 4292900 apresentaram maiores valores do hemossedimentação (VSH) comparados aos heterozigotos (p=0.016). Conclusão: Nossos resultados sugerem uma associação entre o rs4292900 e uma maior susceptibilidade a artrite reumatóide. Os dois SNPs não foram associados a pior quadro clínico da doença, no entanto o genótipo TT do rs4292900 foi associado com o altos níveis do VSH. / The inflammatory process associated with the release of cytokines is directly involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A previous study from our group reported that RA patients had higher levels of IL-22 cytokine compared to controls and this increase was associated worse clinical condition. Interleukins or polymorphisms in the specific receptors can modify them functionally, therefore contributing to the development of the RA. The objective of this study was to identify polymorphisms in the IL-22 cytokine receptor that may be associated with risk of developing RA. One hundred and thirty-eight patients with RA were recruited at the Rheumatology Service HC - UFPE, meeting the American College of Rheumatology criteria they were genotyped for polymorphisms in IL22RA1 (rs4292900 and rs10794665) through the TaqMan method; the control group consisted of one hundred twenty-eight healthy individuals. SNPs were identified by query of the HapMap site with a minor allele frequency (MAF) of at least 0.1% in Caucasians. All genetic frequencies were checked for Hardy-Weinberg and the comparison of proportions was performed using the chi-square (X²) or Fisher's exact test. Results: The TT genotype (rs4292900) was significantly associated with RA compared to controls (37.79% and 21:36% respectively, p = 0.0054, odds ratio = 2.23). Patients heterozygous CT, and homozygous TT for the polymorphism rs4292900 had significantly elevated levels of the cytokine IL-22 compared to the homozygous CC (p = 0.0018 and p = 0.0324, respectively). As for the clinical parameters the CT genotype (rs4292900) showed higher values of disease activity index (CDAI) compared to homozygous; so has the rs1079466. We observe that the TT individuals for rs4292900 showed higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) values compared to heterozygotes (p = 0.016). Conclusion: Our results suggest an association between rs4292900 and increased susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis. The two SNPs were not associated worse clinical disease, however the rs4292900 TT genotype was associated with high levels of ESR.