Genetic analysis of blood protein and COMET assay on the ovary in relation to reproductive performance in she-camel (C. dromedaries)

Abstract

The present work was planned to study the changes in the ovarian cytogenesis (biochemical electrophoresis to detect the genotypes of some plasma proteins) of female camels during the breeding and the non-breeding seasons. Ovaries from 57 she-camels (C. dromedarius) were collected (37 ovaries during the breeding season and 20 ovaries during non-breeding season). Serum protein, types of allels and their mean % in the breeding and nonbreeding seasons were recorded. COMET assay was used to measure DNA damage in cells. DNA strand breaks were represented by the mean for 9 COMETs / sample. The mean ± SD of COMET % in the right ovary in breeding and nonbreeding seasons were 13.6 ± 1.26 and 16.1 ± 1.31 in tailed DNA, while in non tailed DNA were 90.1 ± 0.56 and 85.8 ± 1.26 in breeding and nonbreeding seasons respectively. The mean ± SD of COMET in the left ovary in breeding and nonbreeding seasons were 12.6 ± 1.03 and 15.5 ± 0.05 in tailed DNA, while in non tailed DNA were 91.1 ± 0.73 and 84.5 ± 2.77 in breeding and nonbreeding seasons respectively. The results showed non significant variations between right and left ovaries in DNA damage. While the mean ± SD of COMET % in the right and left ovaries recorded significant variations between seasons in both tailed and non tailed DNA. By single cell gel electrophoresis, it was noticed that apoptotic cells could be clearly distinguished from un-apoptotic cells by the pattern of the COMET image.