Developing strong, parasite-resistant cattle

摘要

Trypanosoma congolense is a protozoan parasite that can cause severe disease and death in African livestock. While some small African cattle breeds are resistant to this parasite, T. congolense poses a serious risk for recently introduced breeds such as Zebu cattle, which are better suited for agricultural work. Harry Noyes et al. (pp. 9304-9309) are working to develop trypanosome-resistant cattle that are also well adapted to the needs of African farmers. The researchers identified cell signaling pathways that respond to T. congolense infection in the liver, spleen, and lymph nodes of both resistant and susceptible cattle breeds.