A high-density genome-wide approach reveals novel genetic markers linked to small ruminant lentivirus susceptibility in sheep.

Visna/Maedi virus (VMV) is lentiviral disease of sheep responsible for severe production losses. Multiple genomic regions associated with infection were reported indicating genetic complexity. In this study, a combined genome-wide approach using a high-density SNP array has been performed, comparing VMV-infected ( = 78) and non-infected ( = 66) individuals of the Valle del Belice breed.

Analysis of ddRAD-seq data provides new insights into the genomic structure and patterns of diversity in Italian donkey populations.

With more than 150 recognized breeds, donkeys assume relevant economic importance, especially in developing countries. Even if the estimated number of heads worldwide is 53M, this species received less attention than other livestock species. Italy has traditionally been considered one of the cradles of European donkey breeding, and despite a considerable loss of biodiversity, today still counts nine autochthonous populations.

Effect of genotyping density on the detection of runs of homozygosity and heterozygosity in cattle.

Runs of homozygosity (ROHom) are contiguous stretches of homozygous regions of the genome. In contrast, runs of heterozygosity (ROHet) are heterozygosity-rich regions. The detection of these two types of genomic regions (ROHom and ROHet) is influenced by the parameters involved in their identification and the number of available single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).

A comparison of genetic and genomic breeding values in Saanen and Alpine goats.

Nowadays, several countries are developing or adopting genomic selection in the dairy goat sector. The most used method to estimate breeding values is Single-Step Genomic Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (ssGBLUP) which offers several advantages in terms of computational process and accuracy of the estimated breeding values (EBVs). Saanen and Alpine are the predominant dairy goat breeds in Italy, and both have similar breeding programs where EBVs for productive traits are currently calculated using BLUP.

Single-step genomic predictions for crossbred Holstein and Jersey cattle in the United States.

In the dairy cattle sector, the number of crossbred genotypes increased in the last years, and therefore, the need for accurate genomic evaluations for crossbred animals has also increased. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the feasibility of including crossbred genotypes in multibreed, single-step genomic BLUP (ssGBLUP) evaluations. The Council of Dairy Cattle Breeding provided more than 47 million lactation records registered between 2000 and 2021 in purebred Holstein and Jersey and their crosses.

Predicting feed efficiency of Angus steers using the gastrointestinal microbiome.

Microbial composition of the gastrointestinal tracts is an important factor affecting the variation in feed efficiency in ruminants. Several studies have investigated the composition of the ruminal and fecal microbiotas, as well as their impacts on feed efficiency and digestion. In addition, next-generation DNA sequencing techniques have allowed us to gain a better understanding of such microbiomes.

Characterization of heterozygosity-rich regions in Italian and worldwide goat breeds.

Heterozygosity-rich regions (HRR) are genomic regions of high heterozygosity, which may harbor loci related to key functional traits such as immune response, survival rate, fertility, and other fitness traits. This study considered 30 Italian and 19 worldwide goat breeds genotyped with the Illumina GoatSNP50k BeadChip. The aim of the work was to study inter-breed relationships and HRR patterns using Sliding Window (SW) and Consecutive Runs (CR) detection methods.

Investigation of phenotypic, genetic and genomic background of Milk spectra in Sarda dairy sheep.

Aim of this study was to analyse the genetic background of milk Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra in dairy sheep. Individual milk FTIR spectra, with 1060 wavenumbers each, were available for 793 adult Sarda breed ewes genotyped at 45,813 SNP. The absorbance values of each wavenumber was analysed using a linear mixed model that included dim class, parity and lambing month as fixed effects and flock-test date and animal as random effects.

Genetic parameters for reproductive traits in the Italian Mediterranean buffalo using milk yield as a correlated trait.

Until now, the genetic evaluation of the Italian Mediterranean Buffalo has been mainly focused on production traits. However, female fertility affects the efficiency of the dairy industry as it is essential to maintain the profitability of dairy farms. Indeed, the estimation of its genetic component is crucial for its improvement.

Toward Sustainability: An Overview of the Use of Green Hydrogen in the Agriculture and Livestock Sector.

The agro-livestock sector produces about one third of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Since more energy is needed to meet the growing demand for food and the industrial revolution in agriculture, renewable energy sources could improve access to energy resources and energy security, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and reduce GHG emissions. Hydrogen production is a promising energy technology, but its deployment in the global energy system is lagging.

Understanding the phenotypic and genetic background of the lactose content in Sarda dairy sheep.

Lactose, the principal carbohydrate found in milk, plays an important role in the physiological processes of milk production because it is related to milk volume, and it is responsible for the osmotic equilibrium between blood and milk in the mammary gland. In this study, factors affecting lactose content (LC) in sheep milk are investigated. For this purpose, 2,358 test-day records were sampled from 509 ewes (3-7 records per animal).

Strategies for choosing core animals in the algorithm for proven and young and their impact on the accuracy of single-step genomic predictions in cattle.

Nowadays, in some populations, the number of genotyped animals is too large to obtain the inverse of the genomic relationship matrix. The algorithm for proven and young animals (APY) can be used to overcome this problem. In the present work, different strategies for defining core animals in APY were tested using either simulated or real data.

A transgenerational study on the effect of great-granddam birth month on granddaughter EBV for production traits in Italian Simmental cattle.

Heat tolerance is a key feature of resilient animals. Offspring of animals that suffer environmental stress during pregnancy could show physiological, morphological, and metabolic modifications. This is due to a dynamic reprogramming of the epigenetics of the mammalian genome that occurs in the early life cycle.

Dry Matter Intake Prediction from Milk Spectra in Sarda Dairy Sheep.

Individual dry matter intake (DMI) is a relevant factor for evaluating feed efficiency in livestock. However, the measurement of this trait on a large scale is difficult and expensive. DMI, as well as other phenotypes, can be predicted from milk spectra.

Analysis of runs of homozygosity of cattle living in different climate zones.

Aim of this study was to analyze the distribution and characteristics of runs of homozygosity in Bos taurus taurus and Bos taurus indicus breeds, as well as their crosses, farmed all around the world. With this aim in view, we used single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) genotypes for 3,263 cattle belonging to 204 different breeds. After quality control, 23,311 SNPs were retained for the analysis.

A Preliminary Study on the Interplay between the Serum Levels of Neurotransmitters and Thyroid Hormones for the Evaluation of the Behavioral Phenotype of Dogs.

A total of 112 dogs (49 males and 63 females) belonging to different breeds (i.e., Boxer, Cirneco dell'Etna, Fonni's Dog, Labrador, Crossbreed, German Shepherd, Pit Bull, Shar-Pei, Yorkshire) were analyzed to compare the serum concentration of serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, prolactin, beta-endorphins, thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), and assess whether these parameters can be correlated with the behavioral phenotype of the investigated breeds.

Ecotoxicity of Copper(I) Chloride in Grooved Carpet Shell ().

Copper (Cu) is a ubiquitous trace element in the aquatic environment, and is usually found at low levels. Copper environmental concentrations can be altered as a result anthropogenic activities. Shellfish are useful bioindicators to ensure adequate environmental monitoring.

Assessment of Genetic Diversity, Runs of Homozygosity, and Signatures of Selection in Tropical Milking Criollo Cattle Using Pedigree and Genomic Data.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the genetic diversity of the Tropical Milking Criollo cattle (TMC) breed in Mexico through parameters derived from pedigree and genomic information assessment. The pedigree file consisted of 3780 animals. Seventy-nine bovines were genotyped with the medium-density single nucleotide polymorphism chip and considered a reference population for pedigree analysis.

Using Pedigree and Genomic Data toward Better Management of Inbreeding in Italian Dairy Sheep and Goat Breeds.

The inbreeding coefficient is an important parameter for livestock management. Small ruminant breeders and associations mainly rely on pedigree information, but genomic tools are gaining relevance, overcoming possible pedigree inconsistencies. This study investigates the relationship between pedigree-based and genomic inbreeding in two goat and four sheep dairy breeds.

Relationship between inbreeding and milk production traits in two Italian dairy sheep breeds.

The effects of inbreeding in livestock species breeds have been well documented and they have a negative impact on profitability. The objective of this study was to evaluate the levels of inbreeding in Sarda (SAR, n = 785) and Valle del Belice (VdB, n = 473) dairy sheep breeds and their impact on milk production traits. Two inbreeding coefficients (F) were estimated: using pedigree (F ), or runs of homozygosity (ROH; F ) at different minimum ROH lengths and different ROH classes.

Phenotypic and genetic characterization of the occurrence of noncoagulating milk in dairy sheep.

Milk coagulation ability is of central importance for the sheep dairy industry because almost all sheep milk is destined for cheese processing. The occurrence of milk with impaired coagulation properties is an obstacle to cheese processing and, in turn, to the profitability of the dairy companies. In this work, we investigated the causes of noncoagulation of sheep milk; specifically, we studied the effect of milk physicochemical properties on milk coagulation status [coagulating and noncoagulating (NC) milk samples, which do or do not coagulate within 30 min, respectively], and whether mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIR) could be used to assess variability in coagulation status.

Feedlot pens with greenhouse roofs improve beef cattle performance in temperate weather.

Muddy pens can negatively affect welfare and performance of feedlot beef cattle. In some regions with temperate weather, plastic greenhouse covers, above the entire pens are used to fatten cattle in a clean and dry environment. The objective of this research was to investigate effects of greenhouse roofed pens on beef cattle feedlot performance in temperate weather.

A Dynamic Model for Estimating the Interaction of ROS-PUFA-Antioxidants in Rabbit.

Defining optimal nutrition in animals and humans remains a main scientific challenge. The objective of the work was to develop a dynamic model of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)-antioxidant homeostasis using the rabbit as a model. The problem entity was to evaluate the main metabolites generated from interactions between traits included in the conceptual model and identified by three main sub-models: (i) ROS generation, (ii) PUFA oxidation and (iii) antioxidant defence.

Multibreed genomic evaluation for production traits of dairy cattle in the United States using single-step genomic best linear unbiased predictor.

Official multibreed genomic evaluations for dairy cattle in the United States are based on multibreed BLUP evaluation followed by single-breed estimation of SNP effects. Single-step genomic BLUP (ssGBLUP) allows the straight computation of genomic (G)EBV in a multibreed context. This work aimed to develop ssGBLUP multibreed genomic predictions for US dairy cattle using the algorithm for proven and young (APY) to compute the inverse of the genomic relationship matrix.