Genome-Wide Association Study of Milk Composition in Karachai Goats.

This study is first to perform a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to investigate the milk quality traits in Karachai goats. The objective of the study was to identify candidate genes associated with milk composition traits based on the identification and subsequent analysis of all possible SNPs, both genome-wide (high-confidence) and suggestive (subthreshold significance). To estimate the milk components, 22 traits were determined, including several types of fatty acids.

Genome-Wide Association and Pathway Analysis of Carcass and Meat Quality Traits in Karachai Young Goats.

Goats with diverse economic phenotypic traits play an important role in animal husbandry. However, the genetic mechanisms underlying complex phenotypic traits are unclear in goats. Genomic studies of variations provided a lens to identify functional genes.

Cryopreservation and Transfer of Sheep Embryos Recovered at Different Stages of Development and Cryopreserved Using Different Techniques.

This article presents data from experiments to determine the cryoresistance of Charollais sheep embryos, depending on the stage of embryo development and the method of freezing, as well as the results of embryo transfer. The study design consisted of a study on the cryopreservation of ewe embryos at different developmental stages (early, 2-8 blastomeric and late, at the morula/blastocyst stage), two cryopreservation protocols (slow freezing and ultra-fast vitrification), and embryo transfer of cryo- and fresh embryos. Embryos from Charollais sheep donors (n = 12) were recovered after induction of superovulation.

Identification of Genomic Regions and Candidate Genes Associated with Body Weight and Body Conformation Traits in Karachai Goats.

The objective of this study was to identify the SNPs and candidate genes related to body weight and seven body conformation traits at the age of 8 months in the Russian aboriginal Karachai goats (n = 269) by conducting genome-wide association studies (GWAS), using genotypes generated by Goat SNP BeadChip (Illumina Inc., USA). We identified 241 SNPs, which were significantly associated with the studied traits, including 47 genome-wide SNPs (p < 10−5) and 194 suggestive SNPs (p < 10−4), distributed among all goat autosomes except for autosome 23.

Seasonal changes in testis size, testosterone levels and sperm production quality in meat rams.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate seasonal changes in testes size, serum testosterone (T) levels and sperm production characteristics of 24 adult (2-3 years old) rams of meat breeds: Charollais (n = 6), Ile de France (n = 6), Dorset (Polled) (n = 5) and Dorper (Dorper, n = 7). Semen was collected with artificial vagina using a female in spontaneous oestrus (September-November, breeding season, BS) or a female with induced oestrus (March-July, non-breeding season, NBS). A total of 672 ejaculates were examined.