SNPRBb: economically important trait specific SNP resources of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)

Comparative expression analysis of water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) to identify genes associated with economically important traits

The milk, meat, skins, and draft power of domestic water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) provide substantial contributions to the global agricultural economy. The world's water buffalo population is primarily found in Asia, and the buffalo supports more people per capita than any other livestock species. For evaluating the workflow, output rate, and completeness of transcriptome assemblies within and between reference-free (RF) de novo transcriptome and reference-based (RB) datasets, abundant bioinformatics studies have been carried out to date. However, comprehensive documentation of the degree of consistency and variability of the data produced by comparing gene expression levels using these two separate techniques is lacking. In the present study, we assessed the variations in the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) attained with RF and RB approaches. In light of this, we conducted a study to identify, annotate, and analyze the genes associated with four economically important traits of buffalo, viz., milk volume, age at first calving, post-partum cyclicity, and feed conversion efficiency. A total of 14,201 and 279 DEGs were identified in RF and RB assemblies. Gene ontology (GO) terms associated with the identified genes were allocated to traits under study. Identified genes improve the knowledge of the underlying mechanism of trait expression in water buffalo which may support improved breeding plans for higher productivity. The empirical findings of this study using RNA-seq data-based assembly may improve the understanding of genetic diversity in relation to buffalo productivity and provide important contributions to answer biological issues regarding the transcriptome of non-model organisms.

Vetinformatics from functional genomics to drug discovery: Insights into decoding complex molecular mechanisms of livestock systems in veterinary science

Having played important roles in human growth and development, livestock animals are regarded as integral parts of society. However, industrialization has depleted natural resources and exacerbated climate change worldwide, spurring the emergence of various diseases that reduce livestock productivity. Meanwhile, a growing human population demands sufficient food to meet their needs, necessitating innovations in veterinary sciences that increase productivity both quantitatively and qualitatively. We have been able to address various challenges facing veterinary and farm systems with new scientific and technological advances, which might open new opportunities for research. Recent breakthroughs in multi-omics platforms have produced a wealth of genetic and genomic data for livestock that must be converted into knowledge for breeding, disease prevention and management, productivity, and sustainability. Vetinformatics is regarded as a new bioinformatics research concept or approach that is revolutionizing the field of veterinary science. It employs an interdisciplinary approach to understand the complex molecular mechanisms of animal systems in order to expedite veterinary research, ensuring food and nutritional security. This review article highlights the background, recent advances, challenges, opportunities, and application of vetinformatics for quality veterinary services.

Trajectory of livestock genomics in South Asia: A comprehensive review

Livestock plays a central role in sustaining human livelihood in South Asia. There are numerous and distinct livestock species in South Asian countries. Several of them have experienced genetic development in recent years due to the application of genomic technologies and effective breeding programs. This review discusses genomic studies on cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat, pig, horse, camel, yak, mithun, and poultry. The frontiers covered in this review are genetic diversity, admixture studies, selection signature research, QTL discovery, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and genomic selection. The review concludes with recommendations for South Asian livestock systems to increasingly leverage genomic technologies, based on the lessons learned from the numerous case studies. This paper aims to present a comprehensive analysis of the dichotomy in the South Asian livestock sector and argues that a realistic approach to genomics in livestock can ensure long-term genetic advancements.