Fertility and early embryonic development in a CD46-edited Gir heifer with reduced susceptibility to BVDV.

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) infection during pregnancy is a significant contributor to reproductive failures in cattle. The bovine receptor for BVDV (CD46) was previously edited with a six amino acid substitution (G82QVLAL to A82LPTFS) and shown to have significantly reduced BVDV susceptibility in a Gir heifer calf. Since a role for CD46 has been proposed in mammalian fertilization, our objective was to assess the edited heifer's fertilization rates, early embryonic development, and germline transmission conformation of the edit.

The Ruminant Telomere-to-Telomere (RT2T) Consortium.

Telomere-to-telomere (T2T) assemblies reveal new insights into the structure and function of the previously 'invisible' parts of the genome and allow comparative analyses of complete genomes across entire clades. We present here an open collaborative effort, termed the 'Ruminant T2T Consortium' (RT2T), that aims to generate complete diploid assemblies for numerous species of the Artiodactyla suborder Ruminantia to examine chromosomal evolution in the context of natural selection and domestication of species used as livestock.

Association of and variants with bovine congestive heart failure in feedlot cattle.

Background: Bovine congestive heart failure (BCHF) has become increasingly prevalent among feedlot cattle in the Western Great Plains of North America with up to 7% mortality in affected herds. BCHF is an untreatable complex condition involving pulmonary hypertension that culminates in right ventricular failure and death. Genes associated with BCHF in feedlot cattle have not been previously identified.

Introgression and disruption of migration routes have shaped the genetic integrity of wildebeest populations.

The blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) is a keystone species in savanna ecosystems from southern to eastern Africa, and is well known for its spectacular migrations and locally extreme abundance. In contrast, the black wildebeest (C. gnou) is endemic to southern Africa, barely escaped extinction in the 1900s and is feared to be in danger of genetic swamping from the blue wildebeest.