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The reproductive characteristics of Hanwoo play a significant role in farm profitability by decreasing the generation interval. This study analyzed 1015 primiparous and 916 multiparous cows using a genome‐wide association study with both single‐locus (GEMMA, GCTA) and multi‐locus models (FarmCPU, BLINK). A significant marker for age at first service was identified across all methods. For age at first conception, GEMMA identified two markers, while FarmCPU and BLINK identified 14 and two markers, respectively. Regarding age at first calving, GEMMA identified two markers, and FarmCPU and BLINK found 15 and two markers, respectively. In multiparous cows, except for days open, one marker for gestation length and two markers for calving interval were identified in the multi‐locus models (FarmCPU and BLINK). Additionally, one marker for the number of services per conception was identified using GEMMA. Key candidate genes included PLCB1 (maintaining pregnancy), MUC1 (fetal development), and ADCY5 (associated with fetal birth), while TXNL1 regulates embryo implantation timing. Gene ontology functions associated with embryo implantation and placental regulation were also confirmed (GO:0046875). Although the multi‐locus models identified a greater number of markers and candidate genes, there was no overlap with the results from the single‐locus models. The multi‐locus models showed enhanced detection power, but slight inflation in test statistics (λ values) necessitates cautious interpretation to avoid false positives. Thus, a combination of both models is recommended to improve reproductive efficiency in cows, providing valuable insights into the genetic aspects of reproductive traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ridgetail white shrimp (Exopalaemon carinicauda), belonging to the Palaemonidae family of crustaceans, is an economically important small-to-medium-sized shrimp in China that is naturally distributed on the coasts of the Yellow and Bohai Seas. Due to its rapid growth and high tolerance for environmental stress, the scale at which E. carinicauda is cultured has expanded in recent years. The reproductive performance of broodstock is crucial to the yield and quality of larvae, as the egg production of E. carinicauda is much lower than that of other economically important shrimps. Meanwhile, E. carinicauda seedling production mainly relies on wild shrimp or breeding parents, resulting in low fertility and poor seed quality, such that the cultivation of E. carinicauda is often hindered by a slow growth rate and poor disease resistance, seriously limiting the development of the E. carinicauda farming industry. Optimizing growth and reproductive traits is vital for the animal aquaculture industry, as these traits are crucial for developing high-quality seedlings and are directly related to yield. Cultivating new varieties with high fertility and fast growth rates can effectively improve the aquaculture of E. carinicauda. In this study, we estimated the genetic parameters of growth and reproduction traits in E. carinicauda. We constructed 40 full-sibling lines of E. carinicauda and 25 half-sibling lines by pairing one male with two females. Thirty shrimps were randomly selected from each line at 50 d and 80 d of age, and the body length, total abdominal length, and body weight were measured to calculate the genetic parameters. The number of eggs, body length, body weight, and incubation time of the first spawning were measured to ensure that the culture conditions for each line were consistent. The main baits used during incubation were folded brachyuran rotifers (Brachinonus plicatilis) and brine shrimp (Artemia sinica). The heritability, phenotypic correlations, and genetic correlations of body weight, body length, total abdominal length traits, time of first spawning, absolute egg count, egg count per unit of body length, and egg count per unit of body weight in E. carinicauda were estimated at the ages of 50 and 80 d using a general linear model. The results showed that the heritability estimate values for body length, total abdominal length, and body weight at 50 d were approximately 0.27–0.69, 0.31–0.44, and 0.20–0.65, respectively, and those for body length, total abdominal length, and body weight at 80 d were approximately 0.39–0.54, 0.31–0.47, and 0.33–0.71, respectively. The heritability estimate values for the number of eggs, the number of eggs per unit of body length, the number of eggs per unit of body weight, and the time of the first spawning were approximately 0.45–0.52, 0.30–0.49, 0.43–0.48, and 0.33–0.77, respectively. The heritability estimate values for all three growth-related traits and four reproduction traits almost reached the level of medium-high heritability. The heritability estimate values for growth and reproduction traits based on full siblings reached a highly significant level according to t-tests. Therefore, the unbiased estimates of narrow-sense heritability for growth and reproduction traits were those estimated by the full-sibling variance component. The phenotypic and genetic correlations for growth and reproduction traits were approximately 0–0.756 9 and –0.006 5–0.951 4, respectively. The genetic correlation coefficients of body weight with body length and egg count were 0.951 4 and 0.205 8, respectively. The phenotypic correlation coefficients of body weight with body length and egg count were 0.742 0 and 0.212 4, respectively. However, the genetic and phenotypic correlations between body length and egg count were poor. Therefore, we suggest that body length and egg count be set as two different targets in breeding programs. The results indicate that the heritability estimate values for body length, total abdominal length, and body weight at 50 and 80 d and for reproduction traits including egg count, egg count per unit length or weight, and time of first spawning almost reached the level of medium-high heritability. The growth and reproductive traits of E. carinicauda can be selected through individual or population-phenotypic selection. The above results provide important basic data to support the breeding of E. carinicauda and have considerable application value for future breeding programs.

Background: This study focused on reproductive traits in Hanwoo cattle, specifically the environmental factors affecting gestation length and birth weight. Methods: The records of 1,540 cows calved at the Hanwoo Research Institute from 2015 to 2023 were examined. This study analyzed two populations, line-breeding Hanwoo (LBH) and general Hanwoo (GH), with all cows undergoing estrus synchronization and artificial insemination. The R software was used to compare the differences between the two populations and analyze the environmental factors affecting each trait. Results: The results showed that the average gestation length for LBH was 283.28 ± 5.93 days, which was significantly shorter than that of the GH, which had an average of 285.63 ± 6.21 days (p < 0.001). The average birth weight of LBH calves was 25.10 ± 3.69 kg, significantly lighter than GH calves, which weighed 27.26 ± 4.11 kg on average (p < 0.001). Analysis of environmental factors revealed significant differences in the gestation length of LBH based on dam parity, year, and season of calving. However, no significant differences were observed based on calf sex. For LBH, birth weight showed significant differences based on dam parity, year of calving, and sex of the calf, but not the season of calving. In GH, gestation length varied with dam parity and calving season, but not with calving year or calf sex. The GH birth weight showed differences based on dam parity, year of calving, and calf sex, but not the season of calving. Conclusions: Reproductive traits in the Hanwoo cattle industry are economically vital but are heavily influenced by environmental factors due to their low heritability. An accurate evaluation of the genetic potential of these traits requires an analysis of the environmental factors affecting them. The results of this study serve as foundational data for predicting the potential for genetic improvement in the gestation length and birth weight of Hanwoo cattle.

Previously, we found that a greater dissimilarity in swine leukocyte antigen (SLA) class I and class II alleles between mating partners resulted in increased farrowing rates in a highly inbred population of Microminipigs (MMPs). In this follow-up study, we have analyzed the effects of dissimilarity in SLA alleles between mating partners for seven different reproductive traits, including litter size and the number of stillborn and live or dead weaned piglets. We determined the relationships among reproductive traits within each mating event and the amino acid distances of SLA alleles as markers of diversity between mating partners. Our results indicate that mating partners with greater amino acid pairwise genetic distances in the SLA-1 class I gene or DQB1 class II gene alleles were associated with significantly larger litter sizes and higher numbers of live piglets at birth and weaning. Also, partners with greater pairwise distances in the SLA-2 class I gene alleles exhibited fewer pre-weaning deaths. These findings suggest that the dissimilarity in SLA class I and class II alleles between mating partners may affect not only farrowing rates but also other key reproductive traits such as litter size and improved piglet survival rates. Consequently, SLA alleles could serve as valuable genetic markers for selecting mating partners in breeding programs and for conducting epistatic studies on various reproductive traits in MMPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Abstract Backgrounding Stayability, which may be defined as the probability of a cow remaining in the herd until a reference age or at a specific number of calvings, is usually measured late in the animal’s life. Thus, if used as selection criteria, it will increase the generation interval and consequently might decrease the annual genetic gain. Measuring stayability at an earlier age could be a reasonable strategy to avoid this problem. In this sense, a better understanding of the genetic architecture of this trait at different ages and/or at different calvings is important. This study was conducted to identify possible regions with major effects on stayability measured considering different numbers of calvings in Nellore cattle as well as pathways that can be involved in its expression throughout the female’s productive life. Results The top 10 most important SNP windows explained, on average, 17.60% of the genetic additive variance for stayability, varying between 13.70% (at the eighth calving) and 21% (at the fifth calving). These SNP windows were located on 17 chromosomes (1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 27, and 28), and they harbored a total of 176 annotated genes. The functional analyses of these genes, in general, indicate that the expression of stayability from the second to the sixth calving is mainly affected by genetic factors related to reproductive performance, and nervous and immune systems. At the seventh and eighth calvings, genes and pathways related to animal health, such as density bone and cancer, might be more relevant. Conclusion Our results indicate that part of the target genomic regions in selecting for stayability at earlier ages (from the 2th to the 6th calving) would be different than selecting for this trait at later ages (7th and 8th calvings). While the expression of stayability at earlier ages appeared to be more influenced by genetic factors linked to reproductive performance together with an overall health/immunity, at later ages genetic factors related to an overall animal health gain relevance. These results support that selecting for stayability at earlier ages (perhaps at the second calving) could be applied, having practical implications in breeding programs since it could drastically reduce the generation interval, accelerating the genetic progress.

Indigenous goat breeds might be utilized as the fundamental elements required in a breeding program. The goat's productivity could be increased through molecular breeding. Bone morphogenetic protein 4 gene plays a vital role in cumulus expansion, ovulation, follicular growth, and differentiation, which can operate directly on the granulosa and result in a significant alteration in the follicle-stimulating hormone activity. The study was carried out to investigate the polymorphism in the bone morphogenetic protein 4 gene and to analyze the factors that correlate with follicle-stimulating hormone levels in Indonesian native goat breeds. To our knowledge, no studies have examined the bone morphogenetic protein 4 gene in Indonesian indigenous goat breeds. This study was conducted in three regencies that represented different goat breeds. The polymerase chain reaction fragments were digested using PvuII restriction enzymes, and deoxyribonucleic acid sequencing was performed for further analysis. The restriction site showed a similar pattern, indicating merely one allel (G)/GG genotype existed. Further, nucleotide sequence alignment analysis of the intron 2 bone morphogenetic protein 4 gene revealed that single-nucleotide polymorphisms were not detected. In other words, the bone morphogenetic protein 4 gene was monomorphic in the screened goat breeds. The frequency of genotype GG and allele G was reported to be 1.0, respectively. The locations and permanent teeth classification showed a significant distinction among categories, whereas the oestrus cycle was not associated significantly. Therefore, the present research could not reveal the association of reproductive traits with the polymorphisms of the bone morphogenetic protein 4 gene in Indonesian native goat breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reproductive traits hold considerable economic importance in pig breeding and production. However, candidate genes underpinning the reproductive traits are still poorly identified. In the present study, we executed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and runs of homozygosity (ROH) analysis using the PorcineSNP50 BeadChip array for 585 Yorkshire pigs. Results from the GWAS identified two genome-wide significant and eighteen suggestive significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with seven reproductive traits. Furthermore, we identified candidate genes, including ELMO1, AOAH, INSIG2, NUP205, LYPLAL1, RPL34, LIPH, RNF7, GRK7, ETV5, FYN, and SLC30A5, which were chosen due to adjoining significant SNPs and their functions in immunity, fertilization, embryonic development, and sperm quality. Several genes were found in ROH islands associated with spermatozoa, development of the fetus, mature eggs, and litter size, including INSL6, TAF4B, E2F7, RTL1, CDKN1C, and GDF9. This study will provide insight into the genetic basis for pig reproductive traits, facilitating reproduction improvement using the marker-based selection methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Sheep genomes undergo numerous genes losses, gains and mutation that generates genome variability among breeds of the same species after long time natural and artificial selection. However, the microevolution of native sheep in northwest China remains elusive. Our aim was to compare the genomes and relevant reproductive traits of four sheep breeds from different climatic environments, to unveil the selection challenges that this species cope with, and the microevolutionary differences in sheep genomes. Here, we resequenced the genomes of 4 representative sheep breeds in northwest China, including Kazakh sheep and Duolang sheep of native breeds, and Hu sheep and Suffolk sheep of exotic breeds with different reproductive characteristics. Results We found that these four breeds had a similar expansion experience from ~ 10,000 to 1,000,000 years ago. In the past 10,000 years, the selection intensity of the four breeds was inconsistent, resulting in differences in reproductive traits. We explored the sheep variome and selection signatures by F ST and θπ. The genomic regions containing genes associated with different reproductive traits that may be potential targets for breeding and selection were detected. Furthermore, non-synonymous mutations in a set of plausible candidate genes and significant differences in their allele frequency distributions across breeds with different reproductive characteristics were found. We identified PAK1, CYP19A1 and PER1 as a likely causal gene for seasonal reproduction in native sheep through qPCR, Western blot and ELISA analyses. Also, the haplotype frequencies of 3 tested gene regions related to reproduction were significantly different among four sheep breeds. Conclusions Our results provide insights into the microevolution of native sheep and valuable genomic information for identifying genes associated with important reproductive traits in sheep.

The heritability of litter size in sheep is low and controlled by multiple genes, but the research on its related genes is not sufficient. Here, to explore the expression pattern of multi-tissue genes in Chinese native sheep, we selected 10 tissues of the three adult ewes with the highest estimated breeding value in the early study of the prolific Xinggao sheep population. The global gene expression analysis showed that the ovary, uterus, and hypothalamus expressed the most genes. Using the Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP) cluster analysis, these samples were clustered into eight clusters. The functional enrichment analysis showed that the genes expressed in the spleen, uterus, and ovary were significantly enriched in the Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Protein (ATM) signaling pathway, and most genes in the liver, spleen, and ovary were enriched in the immune response pathway. Moreover, we focus on the expression genes of the hypothalamic–pituitary–ovarian axis (HPO) and found that 11,016 genes were co-expressed in the three tissues, and different tissues have different functions, but the oxytocin signaling pathway was widely enriched. To further explore the differences in the expression genes (DEGs) of HPO in different sheep breeds, we downloaded the transcriptome data in the public data, and the analysis of DEGs (Xinggao sheep vs. Sunite sheep in Hypothalamus, Xinggao sheep vs. Sunite sheep in Pituitary, and Xinggao sheep vs. Suffolk sheep in Ovary) revealed the neuroactive ligand–receptor interactions. In addition, the gene subsets of the transcription factors (TFs) of DEGs were identified. The results suggest that 51 TF genes and the homeobox TF may play an important role in transcriptional variation across the HPO. Altogether, our study provided the first fundamental resource to investigate the physiological functions and regulation mechanisms in sheep. This important data contributes to improving our understanding of the reproductive biology of sheep and isolating effecting molecular markers that can be used for genetic selection in sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Egg production by hens is an important reproductive performance index in the poultry industry. To investigate the effects of the CALM1 and DRD1 genes on egg production in chicken, their mRNA expression and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) levels were investigated, and bioinformatics and egg-production association analyses were performed. Three SNPs (g.44069941G > A and g.44069889A > G in CALM1 and g.10742639C > T in DRD1) were detected in the exons and introns of CALM1 and DRD1 in 400 Taihang chickens. Among them, g.44069941G > A was significantly associated with Taihang chicken egg production on the 500th day (p < 0.05), whereas g.10742639C > T was significantly associated with the 300th day (p < 0.05). The expression levels of CALM1 and DRD1 in ovarian tissues of a high-yielding Taihang group were greater than in a low-yielding group (p < 0.05). The bioinformatics analysis revealed that the mutations influenced the mRNA secondary structures of CALM1 and DRD1. This study provides new insights into the potential effects of CALM1 and DRD1 polymorphisms on chicken egg production. The two SNPs g.44069941G > A and g.10742639C > T are potential molecular markers for improving the reproductive traits of Taihang chicken. CALM1 and DRD1 were two important genes for reproduction. In this study, the entire coding regions of both genes were sequenced and mutations were detected in Taihang chickens. The results showed that two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), g.44069941G > A in the CALM1 gene and g.10742639C > T in the DRD1 gene, were associated with egg-laying traits. g.10742639C > T is a synonymous mutation predicted to affect the secondary structure of mRNA. Therefore, these two mutations might be potential molecular markers for improving reproductive traits in Taihang chickens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The primary objective of this study was to determine the genetic parameters for reproductive traits among Large White pigs, including the following traits: total number born (TNB), number born alive (NBA), litter birth weight (LBW), average birth weight (ABW), gestation length (GL), age at first service (AFS) and age at first farrowing (AFF). Methods The dataset consisted of 19,036 reproductive records from 4,986 sows, and a multi-trait animal model was used to estimate genetic variance components of seven reproductive traits. Results The heritability estimates for these reproductive traits ranged from 0.09 to 0.26, with the highest heritability for GL and AFF, and the lowest heritability for NBA. The repeatabilities for TNB, NBA, LWB, ABW, and GL were ranged from 0.16 to 0.34. Genetic and phenotypic correlations ranged from −0.41 to 0.99, and −0.34 to 0.98, respectively. In particular, the correlations between TNB, NBA and LBW, between AFS and AFF, exhibited a strong positive correlation. Furthermore, for TNB, NBA, LBW, ABW, and GL, genetic correlations of the same trait between different parities were moderately to strongly correlated (0.32 to 0.97), and the correlations of adjacent parities were higher than those of nonadjacent parities. Conclusion All the results in the present study can be used as a basis for the genetic assessment of the target population. In the formulation of dam line selection index, AFS or AFF can be considered to combine with TNB in a multiple trait swine breeding value estimation system. Moreover, breeders are encouraged to increase the proportion of sows at parity 3–5 and reinforce the management of sows at parity 1 and parity ≥8.

Background: Sheep genomes undergo numerous genes losses, gains and mutation that generates genome variability among breeds of the same species after long time natural and artificial selection. However, the microevolution of native sheep in northwest China remains elusive. Our aim was to compare the genomes and relevant reproductive traits of four sheep breeds from different climatic environments, to unveil the selection challenges that this species cope with, and the microevolutionary differences in sheep genomes. Here, we resequenced the genomes of 4 representative sheep breeds in northwest China, including Kazakh sheep and Duolang sheep of native breeds, and Hu sheep and Suffolk sheep of exotic breeds with different reproductive characteristics. Results: We found that these four breeds had a similar expansion experience from ~ 10,000 to 1,000,000 years ago. In the past 10,000 years, the selection intensity of the four breeds was inconsistent, resulting in differences in reproductive traits. We explored the sheep variome and selection signatures by FST and θπ. The genomic regions containing genes associated with different reproductive traits that may be potential targets for breeding and selection were detected. Furthermore, non-synonymous mutations in a set of plausible candidate genes and significant differences in their allele frequency distributions across breeds with different reproductive characteristics were found. We identified PAK1, CYP19A1 and PER1 as a likely causal gene for seasonal reproduction in native sheep through qPCR, Western blot and ELISA analyses. Also, the haplotype frequencies of 3 tested gene regions related to reproduction were significantly different among four sheep breeds. Conclusions: Our results provide insights into the microevolution of native sheep and valuable genomic information for identifying genes associated with important reproductive traits in sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 288 11‐week‐age roosters were used to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of N‐carbamylglutamate (NCG) on reproductive traits and testicular gene expression. The experimental periods were 12 weeks. All birds were randomly assigned to 4 treatments with 6 replicates per treatment and 12 birds per replicate. Dietary conditions were based on a basal diet and supplemented with 0%, 0.08%, 0.12%, or 0.16% NCG to form C, N1, N2 and N3 groups respectively. Dietary supplementation of NCG had positive effects on the seminiferous tubule parameters, serum gonadotropin‐releasing hormone and testosterone levels and the secondary sexual characteristics. Transcriptomics analysis was performed on the testicular tissues between C and N3 groups at the 16‐week‐age. Genes were mainly enriched in nine pathways, such as cytochrome P450 exogenous metabolism, drug metabolism, steroid hormone synthesis and glutathione metabolism, in which the ZP4 gene, cytochrome P450 family member 11A1 and other genes involved in the maintenance of gonadal function, steroid hormone biosynthesis and metabolism, and so forth, exist differences in expression levels. In summary, dietary supplementation of NCG had positive effects on the reproductive traits of roosters. NCG supplementation improved the development of reproductive traits of roosters by regulating the genes expression in testicular tissues and thus improved the synthesis of reproductive hormones in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing popularity of genomic sequencing, breeders pay more attention to identifying the crucial molecular markers and quantitative trait loci for improving the body size and reproduction traits that could affect the production efficiency of pig-breeding enterprises. Nevertheless, for the Shaziling pig, a well-known indigenous breed in China, the relationship between phenotypes and their corresponding genetic architecture remains largely unknown. Herein, in the Shaziling population, a total of 190 samples were genotyped using the Geneseek Porcine 50K SNP Chip, obtaining 41857 SNPs for further analysis. For phenotypes, two body measurement traits and four reproduction traits in the first parity from the 190 Shaziling sows were measured and recorded, respectively. Subsequently, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) between the SNPs and the six phenotypes was performed. The correlation between body size and reproduction phenotypes was not statistically significant. A total of 31 SNPs were found to be associated with body length (BL), chest circumference (CC), number of healthy births (NHB), and number of stillborns (NSB). Gene annotation for those candidate SNPs identified 18 functional genes, such as GLP1R, NFYA, NANOG, COX7A2, BMPR1B, FOXP1, SLC29A1, CNTNAP4, and KIT, which exert important roles in skeletal morphogenesis, chondrogenesis, obesity, and embryonic and fetal development. These findings are helpful to better understand the genetic mechanism for body size and reproduction phenotypes, while the phenotype-associated SNPs could be used as the molecular markers for the pig breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the prediction accuracies of genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP), various weighted GBLUP according to the degrees of marker effects (WGBLUP) and machine learning (ML) methods, and compared them with traditional BLUP for age at first calving (AFC), calving difficulty (CD), and gestation length in Japanese Black cattle. For WGBLUP, firstly, BayesC and FarmCPU were used to estimate marker effects. Then, we constructed three weighted genomic relationship matrices from information of estimated marker effects in the first step: absolute value of the estimated marker‐effect WGBLUP, estimated marker‐variance WGBLUP, and genomic‐feature WGBLUP. For ML, we applied Gaussian kernel, random forest, extreme gradient boost, and support vector regression. We collected a total of 2583 animals having both phenotypic records and genotypes with 30,105 markers and 16,406 pedigree records. For AFC, prediction accuracies of WGBLUP methods using FarmCPU exceeded BLUP by 25.7%–39.5%. For CD, estimated marker‐variance WGBLUP using BayesC achieved the highest prediction accuracy. Among ML methods, extreme gradient boost, support vector regression, and Gaussian kernel increased prediction accuracies by 28.4%, 19.0%, and 36.4% for AFC, CD, and gestation length compared with BLUP, respectively. Thus, prediction performance could be improved using suitable WGBLUP and ML methods according to target reproductive traits for the population used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The Mediterranean stripe-necked turtle Mauremys leprosa is known to possess physiological mechanisms allowing it to adapt without particular signs of physiological disorder or stress in habitats with high pollution. Nevertheless, we were uncertain about the costs of this adaptation and its impact on reproduction. The reproductive traits measured in this study suggest the adaptation of M. leprosa to flourish well in highly degraded–polluted areas compared to undisturbed habitats. M. leprosa was so well adapted to the pollution that the exposed population actually increased its reproductive capacity. Females living in the highly degraded–polluted habitat exhibited record body sizes for the species, which allowed them to carry both more and larger eggs. In comparison, the corresponding reproductive traits measured in the intact habitat ranged within the limits reported in previous studies. We measured and compared the reproductive traits of the Mediterranean stripe-necked turtles Mauremys leprosa living in highly degraded–polluted vs. intact natural habitats in Algeria. Data on reproduction were obtained by using X-ray examination of gravid females and examination of nests. The results were opposite to the negative trend confirmed in most freshwater turtles exposed to pollution and suggested the ability of this species to flourish instead in highly degraded–polluted habitats. An optimum development was recorded for several reproductive patterns of the studied freshwater turtle under conditions considered uninhabitable for other vertebrates. Females exhibited record body sizes among conspecifics, which allowed them to carry significantly larger clutches, exceeding by up to 3 eggs the previously largest reported clutch. The mean clutch size (8.79 ± 2.70 eggs) was also higher than findings from previous studies, except for in some other polluted habitats. Furthermore, large females even with large clutches carried large eggs. Egg measurements in the disturbed habitat revealed new records exceeding those previously noted; in egg length (by 3.0 mm), egg width (by 2.8 mm), egg mass (by 1.8 g), and clutch mass (by 18.6 g). In comparison, the usual reproductive performances were observed in the intact natural habitat; female body sizes were significantly smaller and carried fewer eggs of smaller size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caraway (Carum carvi) can be divided into biennial and annual flowering types. Biennials require a cold stimulus for initiation of flowering, whereas annuals lack any vernalization requirement. Cultivation of annuals is considered advantageous due to better integration into crop rotation and reduced production costs. However, available annual varieties lack a sufficient yield potential and essential oil content. Valuable genetic diversity exists within the biennial genepool, which can be transferred to the annual genepool by crossbreeding. According to literature, F1 plants from crosses between annual and biennial flowering types uniformly show annual flowering. Resulting F2 populations show a Mendelian 3:1 ratio between annual and biennial flowering types. This indicates a monogenic inheritance of vernalization requirement in caraway with dominant annual flowering. After crossbreeding of annual and biennial flowering types, the recessive allele for biennial flowering can remain within the breeding material over multiple generations. Thus, a genetic marker associated with the vernalization locus would be beneficial to detect the recessive allele in one selection step. To identify markers associated with vernalization requirement, we used genotyping by sequencing (GBS) data of 70 biennial and 67 annual flowering types. We conducted case-control studies and population differentiation-based tests. In total, 60 common single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were found that were significantly associated with vernalization requirement. Out of these, we developed 19 diagnostic markers. In future, these diagnostic markers might be tested in segregating populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The glutathione peroxidase 5 gene (GPX5) is closely associated with the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC), which directly affects the reproductive traits in swine. The study was aimed to investigate polymorphism and find out associations between individual genotypes of the glutathione peroxidase 5 (GPX5) gene with reproduction and production traits in Niang Megha pigs. Genomic DNA was extracted and genotyping was performed using PCR-RFLP technique. Polymorphisms at the Intron 1 of the GPX5 gene were determined by using PCR-RFLP with HinfI restriction enzyme and DNA sequencing analyses. Two alleles and three genotypes were identified by HinfI digestion of the GPX5 gene. In the SNP-HinfI (g.1896A>G) locus did not find a significant association between GPX5 polymorphism with reproduction and production traits. However, the least square mean (LSM) values for the genotype GG demonstrated superior litter size and body weight as compared to AA and AG genotypes in the studied population. These findings emphasize the importance of the porcine GPX5 gene in the performance traits of pig. Therefore, the porcine GPX5 gene may be used as a potential candidate gene for the genetic improvement of litter size traits in the pig breeding industry

Caraway (Carum carvi) can be divided into biennial and annual flowering types. Biennials require a cold stimulus for initiation of flowering, whereas annuals lack any vernalization requirement. Cultivation of annuals is considered advantageous due to better integration into crop rotation and reduced production costs. However, available annual varieties lack a sufficient yield potential and essential oil content. Valuable genetic diversity exists within the biennial genepool, which can be transferred to the annual genepool by crossbreeding. According to literature, F1 plants from crosses between annual and biennial flowering types uniformly show annual flowering. Resulting F2 populations show a Mendelian 3:1 ratio between annual and biennial flowering types. This indicates a monogenetic inheritance of vernalization requirement in caraway with dominant annual flowering. After crossbreeding annual and biennial flowering types, the recessive allele for biennial flowering can remain within the breeding material over multiple generations. Thus, a genetic marker associated with the vernalization locus would be beneficial to remove the recessive allele in one selection step. To identify markers associated with vernalization requirement, we used genotyping by sequencing (GBS) data of 70 biennial and 67 annual flowering types. We conducted case-control studies and population differentiation-based tests. In total, 60 common markers were found that were significantly associated with vernalization requirement. Out of these, we developed 19 diagnostic markers. In future, these diagnostic markers might be used to detect recessive alleles in segregating populations.

The number of egg-laying is an important indicator of reproduction performance in poultry breeding. To investigate the relationship between the function of Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and egg-laying performance of Taihang chicken, the mRNA and protein expression and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of ACE were detected. Analysis of ACE bioinformatics and association analysis of polymorphisms were then performed. The polymorphisms analysis of ACE showed that three SNP loci (g.5066812A>C, g.5080076G>A, and g.5072728A>G) were detected in 800 Taihang chickens with egg-laying records. Association analysis of egg-laying found that ACE g.5066812A>C mutation was significantly associated with the egg-laying performance of Taihang chickens (P < 0.05), and the individuals with the g.5066812A>C mutation showed significantly increasing egg-laying. The mRNA expression was significantly higher in individuals with the AA genotype mutation than those with the AC and CC genotypes (P < 0.01), and the expression of ACE protein levels was consistent with the mRNA expression. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that these mutations affected the secondary and tertiary structure of ACE. This study provides new insights into ACE affecting chicken egg production and some basis for improving the egg production rate of Taihang chickens.

Abstract Background Being a promising tropical woody oilseed crop, the evergreen and recurrent plants of Sacha Inchi ( Plukenetia volubilis L.) has complex phenology and source–sink interactions. Carbon source–sink manipulations with control and two treatments (reduce source, ca. 10% mature leaf pruning; reduce sink, 10% fruitlet thinning) were conducted on 2.5-year-old field-grown P. volubilis plantation during the early-wet season in a seasonal tropical area. Results Leaf photosynthetic rate and specific leaf area largely remained unchanged in response to defoliation or defloration. Compared with control, higher N contents on average were observed in both remaining leaves and branches of the defoliated plants, suggesting that N-mobilization was mainly due to the enhanced N uptake from soil. Carbon, but not N, is a source-driven growth process of P. volubilis plants, as defoliation reduced the contents of non-structural carbohydrates (especially sugar) in branches, although temporally, whereas defloration increased available C reserve. The seasonal dynamic pattern of fruit ripening was altered by source–sink regulations. Total seed yield throughout the growing season, which depends on fruit set and retention (i.e., number of matured fruit) rather than individual fruit development (size), was slightly increased by defloration but was significantly decreased by defoliation. Compared with control, defloration did not enrich the KEGG pathway, but defoliation downregulated the TCA cycle and carbohydrate and lipid metabolisms in fruitlets after 24 days of the applications of source–sink manipulation. Conclusion Carbohydrate reserves serve to buffer sink–source imbalances that may result from temporary adjustment in demand for assimilates (e.g., defloration) or shortfalls in carbon assimilation (e.g., defoliation). Defoliation is disadvantageous for the yield and also for carbohydrate and lipid accumulation in fruits of P. volubilis plants. Although more studies are needed, these results provide new insights to the further improvement in seed yield of the strong source-limited P. volubilis plants by source/sink manipulations.

RFamide-related peptides (RFRP) are synthesized by the hypothalamus and have a regulatory role in gonad development. The goal of this study was to investigate the association between SNP of the RFRP gene and the reproductive traits and hormone levels of Zhenning yellow chickens. The mRNA expression levels were detected based on different tissues, ages, and genotypes. Eleven mutation sites were detected in the RFRP gene, 4 of which were significantly related to reproductive traits and hormone levels. Association analysis revealed that A276G was associated with egg production at 300 d of age (EP300) and amount of prehierarchical follicles (P

The reproductive characteristics of Hanwoo play a significant role in farm profitability by decreasing the generation interval. This study analyzed 1015 primiparous and 916 multiparous cows using a genome-wide association study with both single-locus (GEMMA, GCTA) and multi-locus models (FarmCPU, BLINK). A significant marker for age at first service was identified across all methods. For age at first conception, GEMMA identified two markers, while FarmCPU and BLINK identified 14 and two markers, respectively. Regarding age at first calving, GEMMA identified two markers, and FarmCPU and BLINK found 15 and two markers, respectively. In multiparous cows, except for days open, one marker for gestation length and two markers for calving interval were identified in the multi-locus models (FarmCPU and BLINK). Additionally, one marker for the number of services per conception was identified using GEMMA. Key candidate genes included PLCB1 (maintaining pregnancy), MUC1 (fetal development), and ADCY5 (associated with fetal birth), while TXNL1 regulates embryo implantation timing. Gene ontology functions associated with embryo implantation and placental regulation were also confirmed (GO:0046875). Although the multi-locus models identified a greater number of markers and candidate genes, there was no overlap with the results from the single-locus models. The multi-locus models showed enhanced detection power, but slight inflation in test statistics (λ values) necessitates cautious interpretation to avoid false positives. Thus, a combination of both models is recommended to improve reproductive efficiency in cows, providing valuable insights into the genetic aspects of reproductive traits., (© 2024 Stichting International Foundation for Animal Genetics.)

This study was conducted on 90 local quail females in six different treatments in order to know the effect of adding green tea powder to the quail diet on the productive, reproductive, biochemical and hormonal characteristics of quail females. The results showed a significant superiority of the birds of the group fed on 1% of green tea powder in hot and cold carcass weight, average egg weight, albumin weight, yolk height and color, and the lowest feed consumption, while the control-treated birds in the number of eggs produced, HDP, ALT, Alkaline and Bilirubin exceeded the other treatments birds. Concerning the lipid profile, blood urea ratio, and AST, the highest significant figures were recorded in the treatment of birds fed a ration to which 3% lipids were added. In contrast, the lowest values for total cholesterol, Tri, VLDL, and blood nitrogen were recorded for birds of the treatment fed at 2% of green tea powder. The results showed that there were significant differences between the six treatment birds in the level of blood hormones, as the highest level of (estrogen), (Ghrelin, leptin, FSH), (T4) and (Growth and LH) were recorded for the control birds, 3% lipid and 1% dried green tea and 2% green tea with 3% lipid, respectively. We conclude from the above that birds fed a supplemented diet of 1% green tea powder were superior in most productive and reproductive traits, especially carcass weight, dressed %, egg weight and internal egg characteristics, compared to other treated birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The glutathione peroxidase 5 gene (GPX5) is closely associated with the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC), which directly affects the reproductive traits in swine. The study was aimed to investigate polymorphism and find out associations between individual genotypes of the glutathione peroxidase 5 (GPX5) gene with reproduction and production traits in Niang Megha pigs. Genomic DNA was extracted and genotyping was performed using PCR-RFLP technique. Polymorphisms at the Intron 1 of the GPX5 gene were determined by using PCR-RFLP with HinfI restriction enzyme and DNA sequencing analyses. Two alleles and three genotypes were identified by HinfI digestion of the GPX5 gene. In the SNP-HinfI (g.1896A>G) locus did not find a significant association between GPX5 polymorphism with reproduction and production traits. However, the least square mean (LSM) values for the genotype GG demonstrated superior litter size and body weight as compared to AA and AG genotypes in the studied population. These findings emphasize the importance of the porcine GPX5 gene in the performance traits of pig. Therefore, the porcine GPX5 gene may be used as a potential candidate gene for the genetic improvement of litter size traits in the pig breeding industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Agricultural chemicals such as neonicotinoid insecticides are believed to be one important factor responsible for the recent reduction in health of pollinating insects like the western honeybee Apis mellifera. However, effects of neonicotinoids on male (drone) honeybee health remain severely understudied. 2. We examined for the first time the multidimensional effects of field-realistic concentrations of two common neonicotinoid insecticides (thiamethoxam and clothianidin) on drone honeybee survival, behaviour and physiology using individuals reared and maintained as adults in the field. 3. Our data showed that neonicotinoids reduced honeybee drone survival by 51%, increased drifting behaviour to non-maternal colonies by 100%, delayed flight activities by 3 days and reduced number of living sperm by 28%. However, they did not influence the sperm concentration produced by the drones, the strength of the drone's maternal colonies or the total number of drones produced by those colonies. 4. Policy implications. Our study demonstrated that neonicotinoids can elicit a diverse array of lethal (survival) and sublethal (behaviour, reproductive physiology) effects on male honeybees Apis mellifera in the field. These findings should be considered by policy makers looking to adopt and implement science-based, holistic risk assessments to more comprehensively assess effects of chemicals on important ecosystem service providing insects like the honeybee. To date, risk assessment schemes do not specifically address potential effects on male bees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allotriploid oysters between Crassostrea gigas and C. angulata have been utilized in commercial culture in China. The prevalence of this allotriploids is attributed to fast growth and extensive temperature adaptability, however its drawbacks are low meat ratio and slightly restored fecundity. To tackle these problems, two types of allotetraploids were produced in a previous study. Here, a comparative assessment of the growth, survival and reproductive traits was made for genetically improved allotriploids (based on allotetraploids), traditional allotriploids, and autotriploids (C. gigas and C. angulata). The results showed that the survival rates of larvae for all crosses were >80% on day 15. Genetically improved allotriploids survived better than autotriploids during juvenile and adult stages. The whole weights, wet meat weights, and meat ratios of genetically improved allotriploids were larger than traditional allotriploids on day 390 and day 510. The condition indexes, infertile percentages and fecundity of genetically improved allotriploids were lower than C. gigas autotriploids but higher than that of traditional allotriploids. At the end of the experiment, genetically improved allotriploids (GIT1) had the largest yield (56.79 kg) among all the six crosses. Overall, this study demonstrated that GIT1 exhibited superior growth and survival characteristics, as well as higher sterility compared with traditional allotriploids, which could be used as a potential variety in northern China. • The genetically improved allotriploid oysters GIT1 survived better than autotriploids. • The total weights, wet meat weights, and meat ratios of GIT1 were larger than traditional allotriploids. • The condition indexes, infertile percentages and fecundity of GIT1 were higher than that of traditional allotriploids. • At harvest, GIT1 had the largest yield among all crosses. • The genetically improved allotriploids GIT1 can be used as a potential variety for oyster industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective This study was conducted to examine the effects of a mixture of pinecone oil, garlic, and brown seaweed extracts (PGBE) on milk production traits as well as physiological and ethological parameters in Holstein cows during the summer season (24 May to 03 July 2015, Korea). Methods Among the extract combinations tested, we found that the level of 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylberzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) cation radical scavenging activity of the 0.16% PBGE complex at ratio of 1:1:1 (vol/vol) was comparable to that of the control (ascorbic acid; 1 mg/mL). Additionally, the PBGE complex reduced lipopolysaccharide-induced COX-2 expression in bovine mammary epithelial cells. Based on these findings, 40 lactating Holstein cows were used to measure the effects of PBGE complex at ratio of 1:1:1 (vol/vol) on milk production, immune response, metabolites, and behavior patterns by dividing the cows into two groups fed diets containing PGBE complex (n = 20; 0.016%/kg feed dry matter basis) or not containing PGBE complex (control, n = 20) for 40 d. Results Results showed that PGBE complex did not influence milk composition, eating and ear surface temperature patterns, immune response, or metabolic parameters but promoted average milk yield throughout the experimental period. Additionally, a tendency of higher total antioxidant capacity and glutathione in the PGBE group was observed compared to the those in the control. When the temperature-humidity index (THI) exceeded 72 (average THI = 73.8), PGBE complex-fed cows experiencing heat stress showed increased milk yield and a tendency of increased rumination compared to the control. Conclusion We suggest that incorporation of a combined mixture of 0.016% PGBE (1:1:1 ratio, vol/vol) to diet has the potential to improve milk yield and health status of cows under mild to moderate heat stress, denoting that it might be useful as an alternative anti-stressor in the diet of dairy cows under hot conditions.

This study was aimed at analysing single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the oestrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) and retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) genes in a hyperprolific line of Landrace × Large White (Topigs 20) cross sows (n = 101). The following litter size traits were analysed: total number born, number of born alive and number of weaned piglets. ESR1 and RBP4 genotypes determined on the basis of single-nucleotide polymorphisms were analysed using the least square method with the GLM procedure in SAS with eight effects. The REG procedure was used to calculate the effects of the additive and dominance components. The second parity sows with ESR1 BB genotype had a significantly higher (P < 0.05) number of weaned piglets compared to AB, with a tendency towards difference (P < 0.1) between homozygotes for number of born alive and number of weaned piglets. In the case of the RBP4 gene, the first parity sows of the AA genotype had a significantly higher total number born (P < 0.05) compared with the BB genotype, with a tendency towards difference (P < 0.1) between AA and heterozygotes for total number born, and homozygotes for number of born alive. The BB genotype showed a tendency for higher number of weaned piglets (P < 0.1) as compared with the AA genotype in the third parity sows for the RBP4 gene. In all parities, significant effects (P < 0.05) of parity were recorded for total number born, number of born alive and number of weaned piglets, season of farrowing for total number born, and the ESR1 and RBP4 interaction for number of born alive. In the first parity sows, significant effects (P < 0.05) on total number born were determined for gene interaction and gestation length, the latter also being recorded in the second parity sows. The additive (a) effect of single-nucleotide polymorphisms in RBP4 was significant (P < 0.05) for total number born in all parities as well as in the first parity sows, and dominance effect (d) (P < 0.05) of single-nucleotide polymorphisms in ESR1 for number of weaned piglets in the third parity sows. The obtained results regarding the investigated genes could help to provide a better understanding of the effect of single-nucleotide polymorphisms on litter size and thus promote genetic progress in pig reproduction management.

We measured and compared the reproductive traits of the Mediterranean stripe-necked turtles Mauremys leprosa living in highly degraded–polluted vs. intact natural habitats in Algeria. Data on reproduction were obtained by using X-ray examination of gravid females and examination of nests. The results were opposite to the negative trend confirmed in most freshwater turtles exposed to pollution and suggested the ability of this species to flourish instead in highly degraded–polluted habitats. An optimum development was recorded for several reproductive patterns of the studied freshwater turtle under conditions considered uninhabitable for other vertebrates. Females exhibited record body sizes among conspecifics, which allowed them to carry significantly larger clutches, exceeding by up to 3 eggs the previously largest reported clutch. The mean clutch size (8.79 ± 2.70 eggs) was also higher than findings from previous studies, except for in some other polluted habitats. Furthermore, large females even with large clutches carried large eggs. Egg measurements in the disturbed habitat revealed new records exceeding those previously noted; in egg length (by 3.0 mm), egg width (by 2.8 mm), egg mass (by 1.8 g), and clutch mass (by 18.6 g). In comparison, the usual reproductive performances were observed in the intact natural habitat; female body sizes were significantly smaller and carried fewer eggs of smaller size.

Teat number is an important economic trait in the pig breeding industry and is directly related to the livability and growth status of piglets. By applying genetic technology, it may be possible to increase the number of teats and thus enhance production. Previous research has shown that teat number exhibits moderate levels of heritability that could be accelerated by the use of a genetic marker, such as microsatellites. Based on our preliminary sequencing data, the present study describes the use of timeof-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS) to identify the locations of four new microsatellites in Qinghai Bamei pig (n=256), an indigenous breed of Chinese pig. TOF-MS demonstrated that the L1-(GT)n locus had three alleles: 152 bp, 164 bp, and 166 bp. The three other loci, L2-(AC)n, L3-(TC)n, and L4-(TGA)n, all had two alleles. Alignment of our sequencing data with the Sus scrofa reference genome (Sscrofa11.1) revealed that the L1-(GT)n microsatellite, which features a GT repeat motif, was located in the retinoic acid induced 2 gene (RAI2) on chromosome X in Sus scrofa (SSCX). Analysis further revealed that the L2-(AC)n locus, featuring AC repeats, and the L3-(TC)n locus, featuring TC repeats, were located in intergenic regions on SSC14 and SSC5, respectively. TGA repeats within the L4-(TGA)n locus were located in the inner mitochondrial membrane peptidase subunit 2 gene (IMMPL2) on SSC18. Further association analysis revealed that the L1-(GT)n locus was significantly associated with teat number (p < 0.05) and that the 152-bp allele exhibited the most positive association. Our data indicate that the L1-(GT) n microsatellite could represent a potential DNA marker with which to increase the number of teats. Thus could help to improve production in the pig breeding industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Songkhla Lagoon in southern Thailand is a large lagoon with brackish water where the mysid Nanomysis siamensis inhabit. N. siamensis has long been the dominant mysid species in this lagoon. However, nothing is known about the biology and ecology of N. siamensis. Here for the first time, we provide information about its demographic structure and reproductive biology in the Songkhla Lagoon system. We conducted monthly sampling from June 2017 to June 2018 at five stations in Thale Sap and seven stations in Thale Sap Songkhla. Individuals were classified into six categories. The monthly mean density ranged 8.44–807.33 inds./100 m2 in Thale Sap and 8.81–434.44 inds./100 m2 in Thale Sap Songkhla. The peak occurrence of this species was in May 2018 in Thale Sap. The population composition was as follows: juvenile 10.13%, immature males 13.45%, immature females 10.54%, mature males 26.19%, mature females 21.63% and ovigerous females 18.05%. The proportion of ovigerous females was statistically significant and brooding females in the nauplioid stage were more dominant than embryonic phase and post-nauplioid stages. Brood size varied from 1 to 17, the embryo diameter ranging from 0.2 to 0.4 mm and the lengths of the larvae ranged from 0.5 to 1.0 mm. There was a positive correlation between brood size and brood length with ovigerous female body length. Overall, mature males were predominant over the five population composition types, and reproduction in N. siamensis was observed every month. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Being a promising tropical woody oilseed crop, the evergreen and recurrent plants of Sacha Inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L.) has complex phenology and source–sink interactions. Carbon source–sink manipulations with control and two treatments (reduce source, ca. 10% mature leaf pruning; reduce sink, 10% fruitlet thinning) were conducted on 2.5-year-old field-grown P. volubilis plantation during the early-wet season in a seasonal tropical area. Results: Leaf photosynthetic rate and specific leaf area largely remained unchanged in response to defoliation or defloration. Compared with control, higher N contents on average were observed in both remaining leaves and branches of the defoliated plants, suggesting that N-mobilization was mainly due to the enhanced N uptake from soil. Carbon, but not N, is a source-driven growth process of P. volubilis plants, as defoliation reduced the contents of non-structural carbohydrates (especially sugar) in branches, although temporally, whereas defloration increased available C reserve. The seasonal dynamic pattern of fruit ripening was altered by source–sink regulations. Total seed yield throughout the growing season, which depends on fruit set and retention (i.e., number of matured fruit) rather than individual fruit development (size), was slightly increased by defloration but was significantly decreased by defoliation. Compared with control, defloration did not enrich the KEGG pathway, but defoliation downregulated the TCA cycle and carbohydrate and lipid metabolisms in fruitlets after 24 days of the applications of source–sink manipulation. Conclusion: Carbohydrate reserves serve to buffer sink–source imbalances that may result from temporary adjustment in demand for assimilates (e.g., defloration) or shortfalls in carbon assimilation (e.g., defoliation). Defoliation is disadvantageous for the yield and also for carbohydrate and lipid accumulation in fruits of P. volubilis plants. Although more studies are needed, these results provide new insights to the further improvement in seed yield of the strong source-limited P. volubilis plants by source/sink manipulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present investigation was carried out to find out the relationship of biochemically polymorphic blood protein transferrin with important reproductive traits in adult Black Bengal goats. Least square analysis of data depicted non-significant relationship of transferrin types with most of the reproductive traits except age at puberty and age at first kidding where transferrin phenovariants had significant effect (p

Copyright of Journal of Henan Agricultural Sciences is the property of Editorial Board of Journal of Henan Agricultural Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study was aimed to generate information on variance components and the resulting genetic parameters (heritability, repeatability, genetic and phenotypic correlations and genetic trends) of some economic traits of Borena and its crosses with Holstein Friesian dairy cattle maintained at Holetta agricultural research center dairy farm. Traits studied were age at first service (AFS), age at first calving (AFC), calving interval (CI), days open (DO) and number of service per conception (NSC). Overall, 11331 dairy cattle reproductive performance records were used for the study. WOMBAT, which is a software package for quantitative genetic analysis of continuous traits, fitting a linear, mixed model; estimates of covariance components and the resulting genetic parameters were employed and obtained. Heritability values of reproductive traits were from very low (0.071, 0.082 and 0.012) for CI, DO and NSC to moderate (0.3 and 0.22) for AFC and AFS traits. Repeatability estimate for CI, DO and NSC were low (0.17, 0.17 and 0.129). Strong and positive genetic correlation (0.98) was appeared between AFS and AFC traits. Negative genetic correlations were observed between AFS and DO (-0.001), AFC and DO (-0.05), AFS and NSC (-0.022), AFC and NSC (-0.29) and CI and NSC (-0.31). AFS were negative phenotypic correlation with CI, DO and NSC. Similarly, AFC was negative phenotypic correlation with CI and DO. Low phenotypic correlation was observed between AFC and NSC, CI and DO, CI and NSC and, DO and NSC. Strong and positive phenotypic correlation was appeared between AFS and AFC. The regression coefficient of mean breeding value for NSC, CI, DO, AFC and AFS on year of birth were -0.0066x+13.25 times/year, -1.19x+2387.4 days/year, -1.23x+2445.6 days/year, 0.2x-410 months/year and 0.48x-980 months/year, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cow stayability plays a major role on the overall profitability of the beef cattle industry, as it is directly related to reproductive efficiency and cow's longevity. Stayability (STAY63) is usually defined as the ability of the cow to calve at least three times until 76 months of age. This is a late‐measured and lowly heritable trait, which consequently constrains genetic progress per time unit. Thus, the use of genomic information associated with novel stayability traits measured earlier in life will likely result in higher prediction accuracy and faster genetic progress for cow longevity. In this study, we aimed to compare pedigree‐based and single‐step GBLUP (ssGBLUP) methods as well as to estimate genetic correlations between the proposed stayability traits: STAY42, STAY53 and STAY64, which are measured at 52, 64 and 76 months of cow's age, considering at least 2, 3 and 4 calving, respectively. ssGBLUP yielded the highest prediction accuracy for all traits. The heritability estimates for STAY42, STAY53, STAY63 and STAY64 were 0.090, 0.151, 0.152 and 0.143, respectively. The genetic correlations between traits ranged from 0.899 (STAY42 and STAY53) to 0.985 (STAY53 and STAY63). The high genetic correlation between STAY42 and STAY53 suggests that besides being related to cow longevity, STAY53 is also associated with the early‐stage reproductive efficiency. Thus, STAY53 is recommended as a suitable selection criterion for reproductive efficiency due to its higher heritability, favourable genetic correlation with other traits, and measured earlier in life, compared with the conventional stayability trait, that is STAY63. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of South China Agricultural University is the property of Gai Kan Bian Wei Hui and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background and Aims Cleistogamy is considered to be an adaptive strategy resulting in plasticity in chasmogamous (CH) and cleistogamous (CL) flower production depending on environmental conditions and plant size. The aim of this study was to investigate whether CH and CL flower production in Portulaca oleracea is genetically differentiated among populations in association with climatic conditions. Methods First, we conducted growth experiments with P. oleracea seedlings from 16 populations under two temperature conditions. Secondly, we sowed seeds originating from the parents in the first experiment and grew the resulting plants to investigate whether flower production is heritable and whether plants in the same population show the same pattern of flower production. Key Results Two types of plants that produced only CH or CL flowers (referred to as CH and CL plants, respectively) were mainly observed, and the growing temperature conditions did not affect flower production. The frequency of CL plants increased with a decrease in the mean temperature in the original population. The CL plants tended to begin reproduction earlier than the CH plants, and the probability that a CH plant would flower decreased under the low growing temperature condition. Thus, CL plants may have some advantages in unfavourable environments in which early reproduction is necessary due to a short growing season and/or when CH flowers cannot open due to low temperatures. The progeny originating from CH and CL plants also produced only CH and CL flowers, respectively, suggesting that there is a genetic basis for the dimorphism in flower production in P. oleracea , represented by CH and CL plants. Conclusions In contrast to the previous hypothesis that the production of both CH and CL flowers would be plastic, the genotypes producing either CH or CL flowers occurred at different frequencies under varying climatic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability of dry forests to deliver ecosystem services of both local and global relevance depends on the capacity of those forests to recover from constant disturbances in human-modified landscapes. Here we examine the effects posed by biomass, chronic human disturbances and aridity on the recovery of reproductive functional diversity by edible fruit plant assemblages following slash-and-burn agriculture in a Caatinga dry forest, in northeastern Brazil. The edible fruit plant assemblages were described across 24 forest stands, including regenerating stands of varying age (4 to 50 yr old) and old-growth stands, adopting a large set of reproductive traits as floral sizes, reproductive systems, and pollination systems. Such a chronosequence covered a gradient relative to aboveground biomass, aridity, and chronic anthropogenic disturbances (CAD). We observed that edible fruit plant assemblages across both regenerating and old-growth forest stands exhibited similar taxonomic diversity scores. This pattern is also figured in the recovery of reproductive traits, which is relatively fast as regenerating forest scores are generally similar or higher to those in old-growth forests. Generally, regenerating forest stands support more specialized reproductive traits and strategies than old-growth forest stands [e.g., edible fruit plants with very large flowers (>30 mm), specialized pollination systems, large fruits (>1.5 ≤3.0 mm), and medium-sized seeds (>0.6 ≤1.5 cm). However, the functional diversity of specialist reproductive traits decreased with increases in the levels of biomass and aridity, isolated, but was also impacted by the interactive effect. Considering the effects of biomass, CAD or aridity individually, we observed that biomass itself was responsible for most of the effects (42.8%), while 52.3% of the reproductive traits were negatively affected by CAD or aridity, which seems to be a major force against the recovery. [Display omitted] • Secondary forests harbor similar abundance of edible fruit plants as mature forests. • Aridity reduces the species richness of edible fruit plant assemblages. • Secondary forests harbor more specialized traits and strategies than mature forests. • The successional trajectory goes from specialized to generalist traits. • Aridity act as a strong environmental filter against regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reproductive performance is a complex quantitative trait, that is determined by multiple genes, regulatory pathways and environmental factors. A list of major genes with large effect have been detected, although multiple QTLs are identified. To identify candidate genes for pig prolificacy, whole genome variants from five high- and five low-prolificacy Yorkshire sows were collected using whole-genome resequencing. A total of 13,955,609 SNPs and 2,666,366 indels were detected across the genome. Common differential SNPs and indels were identified between the two groups of sows. Genes encoding components of the TGF-beta signaling pathway were enriched with the variations, including BMP5 , BMP6 , BMP7 , ACVR1 , INHBA , ZFYVE9 , TGFBR2 , DCN , ID4 , BAMBI , and ACVR2A. Several differential variants within these genes related to reproductive traits were identified to be associated with litter size. A comparison of selective regions and published QTL data suggests that NEDD9 , SLC39A11 , SNCA , and UNC5D are candidate genes for reproduction traits. • A total of 13,955,609 SNPs and 2,666,366 indels were identified across the genome. • 3293 common differential SNPs and 439 common differential indels were fixed between groups. • Genes encoding components of the TGF-beta signaling pathway were identified to be associated with sow reproductive traits. • Fourteen candidate genes were identified to contribute to sow prolificacy and merit further investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study was conducted to determine the effects of dietary supplementation with Pediococcus acidilactici (P. acidilactici) ZPA017 as a probiotic on reproductive performance, fecal microbial flora and serum indices in sows during late gestation and lactation. Methods: A total of 94 sows (Large White×Yorkshire, average 4.50 parities) were randomly allotted to two dietary treatments: control diet and the diet supplemented with P. acidilactici ZPA017 (2.40×109 colony-forming unit/kg of diets). The study started at d 90 of gestation and conducted until d 28 of lactation. Results: Compared to sows fed the control diet, supplementation of P. acidilactici ZPA017 increased the number of weaning piglets, weaning weight of litter and piglets, survival rate of piglets at weaning (p<0.05), and decreased diarrhea rate of piglets in lactation (p<0.05). Dietary P. acidilactici ZPA017 increased fecal Lactobacillus populations (p = 0.030) and reduced fecal Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus populations (p<0.05) of sows at weaning. Moreover, the supplementation of P. acidilactici ZPA017 increased serum concentrations of immunoglobulin G, immunoglobulin A and total protein (p<0.05), while decreased serum haptoglobin concentration and alanine aminotransferase activity (p<0.05) of sows at weaning. Conclusion: Administration of P. acidilactici ZPA017 in diets during late gestation and lactation had positive effects on the reproductive performance, intestinal microflora balance and immunity of sows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mammalian Y chromosome gene families in the ampliconic region are expressed predominantly or exclusively in the testis, and their copy number variations (CNV) are significantly associated with male reproductive traits, suggesting they have important roles in spermatogenesis and testicular development. ZNF280AY (zinc finger protein 280A, Y-linked) is a member of the zinc finger protein family and has been identified as a bovid-specific Y-chromosome gene. The current study applied a reliable quantitative real-time PCR method to estimate the CNV of ZNF280AY in 715 bulls across 21 cattle breeds and to further investigate the association of the CNV of ZNF280AY with bull reproductive traits and ZNF280AY mRNA expression levels in adult testis. The results revealed that the median copy number of ZNF280AY was 47, and the copy number varied from 11 to 154, showing significant CNV between and within the investigated cattle breeds. In addition, all 715 bulls were classified into Y1, Y2, and Y3 lineage groups based on a rapid genotyping method described previously. Pairwise comparisons indicated that bulls belonging to the Y1 lineage had a significantly lower median copy number (40) than bulls belonging to the Y2 (52) and Y3 lineages (57). Association analysis revealed that the CNV of ZNF280AY was correlated negatively with the percentage of normal sperm and sperm concentration in Holstein bulls, whereas no significant correlation was observed with ejaculation volume, total sperm count, sperm motility, postthaw motility (PTM), and scrotal circumference in Holstein and Simmental bulls. Furthermore, no correlation was observed between ZNF280AY copy number and ZNF280AY mRNA expression levels in the testis. The current study suggests that the CNV of the ZNF280AY gene family is associated with male reproductive traits and may serve as a valuable marker for early bull fertility selection in Holstein breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lysine demethylase 6A (KDM6A, also known as UTX), which belongs a type of histone demethylase, is essential for spermatogenesis and embryo development. However, in pig, the coding sequence, mRNA expression and insertion/deletion (indel) variants of KDM6A remain unclear. Herein, the open-reading frame (ORF) of pig KDM6A gene was cloned and characterized. The entire ORF sequence was 4206 bp in length encoding a deduced protein of 1401 amino acid residues. The phylogenetic tree and signatures of selection on the pig KDM6A gene were calculated, and the results revealed that the pig KDM6A gene has been under strong positively selection. Expression analysis results showed that KDM6A gene was expressed in all tissues tested both in male piglets and adult boars. Meanwhile, with testicular development, the KDM6A expression levels in testis were significantly increased. Additionally, three intronic indels of 11-bp insertion, 17-bp deletion and 16-bp insertion were identified. Association analyses revealed that the 11-bp indel was associated with testicular short perimeter (TSP) (P < 0.01), testicular long perimeter (TLP) (P < 0.01) and testicular weight (TW) (P < 0.01) in 15-day-old Yorkshire and TLP (P < 0.01) in 40-day-old Yorkshire. The 16-bp indel was associated with TLP, TSP and TW (P < 0.05) in 15-day-old Yorkshire. All these findings would provide a foundation for the further research of KDM6A gene and the application of marker-assisted selection to pig breeding. • A new open-reading frame (ORF) of pig KDM6A gene was identified. • The KDM6A gene was ubiquitously expressed and significantly increased with testicular development (P < 0.05). • Three indels were verified to associate with pig testicular morphology traits (P < 0.01). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of heat stress on the expression pattern of reproduction related genes in Malabari breed of goat. The study was conducted during 45 days using twelve 10 months to one year old Malabari goats. The goats were randomly allocated into two groups: MC (n = 6; Malabari control) and MHS (n = 6; Malabari heat stress). Goats were stall-fed with a diet composed of 60% roughage and 40% concentrate. All animals had access to ad - libitum feed and water and they were fed and watered individually. The MC goats were placed in the shaded pens while MHS goats were exposed to heat stress in outside environment between 10.00 h and 16.00 h. At the end of study period, all 12 animals were slaughtered and their uterus tissues were collected for gene expression and histopathological studies. The temperature humidity index (THI) inside shed (74.9) proved that the animals were not stressed while in the outside environment (86.5) the animals were extremely distressed. Heat stress significantly (P < 0.05) influenced the expression patterns of follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR), luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR), estrogen receptor α (ESTRα), prostaglandin F2 α (PGF2α) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). However, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) did not differed between the groups. Further, a strong positive correlation (P < 0.01) was established for THI with both FSHR gene expression. A negative correlation was also established between THI and ESTRα (P < 0.01), PGF2α (P < 0.01), PGE2 (P < 0.05) genes. However, heat stress did not influence the expression patterns of LHR ; COX-2 genes. The histopathological section of uterine epithelial cells showed degenerative changes (P < 0.05) with less differentiation in MHS group as compared to MC group. The results from the study clearly indicated that heat stress was able to alter the reproductive activity related gene expressions at uterine level and this could be an indication of reduced reproductive efficiency in Malabari goats. • Impacts of heat stress on livestock reproduction are mainly based on changes in the phenotypic rather than genotypic traits. • The study is the first of its kind to establish the impact of heat stress on reproduction related gene expression in goats. • ESTRα, PGF2α and PGE2 genes can be considered as indicators for heat stress effect on reproductive performance in goats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]