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Zhu L, Shen S, Pan C, Lan X, Li J. Bovine FRAS1: mRNA Expression Profile, Genetic Variations, and Significant Correlations with Ovarian Morphological Traits, Mature Follicle, and Corpus Luteum. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:597. [PMID: 38396565 PMCID: PMC10886075 DOI: 10.3390/ani14040597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The amelioration of bovine fertility caused by a multi-factorial problem has always been a hot topic, among which the detection of available target genes is the most crucial. It was hypothesized that the Fraser extracellular matrix complex subunit 1 (FRAS1) gene detected by GWAS is involved in physiological activities such as ovarian development. Herein, unilateral ovaries from 2111 cows were used to examine the mRNA expression profile and polymorphisms of bovine FRAS1 and their associations with fertility-related characteristics. Firstly, it was confirmed that FRAS1 gene transcripts are expressed in various bovine tissues. Then, among five potential insertion-deletion (indel) loci, the 20 bp (named P3-D20-bp) and 15 bp (P4-D15-bp) deletion mutations were confirmed to be polymorphic with linkage equilibrium. Secondly, the P3-D20-bp polymorphism was significantly associated with ovarian weight and corpus luteum diameter in the metaestrus phase and ovarian length in the dioestrum stage. Additionally, both ovarian length and mature follicle diameter in metaestrus are significantly correlated with different genotypes of P4-D15-bp. Thirdly, the transcriptional expression of the FRAS1 gene in groups with a minimum value of ovarian weight or volume was significantly higher than the expression in groups with a maximum value. Instead of that, the more corpus luteum and mature follicles there are, the higher the transcription expression of the FRAS1 gene is. Furthermore, FRAS1 expression in cows with a heterozygous genotype (ID) of P3-D20-bp was significantly higher than others. Eventually, P3-D20-bp deletion could disturb the binding efficiency of WT1-I and Sox2 to FRAS1 sequence according to binding prediction, indicating that mutation may affect gene expression and traits by influencing the binding of transcription factors. Overall, the polymorphisms of P3-D20-bp and P4-D15-bp of the bovine FRAS1 gene significantly correlated to follicle or ovarian traits that could be applied in optimizing female fertility in cow MAS breeding programs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Xianyong Lan
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China; (L.Z.); (S.S.); (C.P.)
| | - Jie Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China; (L.Z.); (S.S.); (C.P.)
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Lesta A, Marín-García PJ, Llobat L. How Does Nutrition Affect the Epigenetic Changes in Dairy Cows? Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:1883. [PMID: 37889793 PMCID: PMC10251833 DOI: 10.3390/ani13111883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Dairy cows require a balanced diet that provides enough nutrients to support milk production, growth, and reproduction. Inadequate nutrition can lead to metabolic disorders, impaired fertility, and reduced milk yield. Recent studies have shown that nutrition can affect epigenetic modifications in dairy cows, which can impact gene expression and affect the cows' health and productivity. One of the most important epigenetic modifications in dairy cows is DNA methylation, which involves the addition of a methyl group to the DNA molecule. Studies have shown that the methylation status of certain genes in dairy cows can be influenced by dietary factors such as the level of methionine, lysine, choline, and folate in the diet. Other important epigenetic modifications in dairy cows are histone modification and microRNAs as regulators of gene expression. Overall, these findings suggest that nutrition can have a significant impact on the epigenetic regulation of gene expression in dairy cows. By optimizing the diet of dairy cows, it may be possible to improve their health and productivity by promoting beneficial epigenetic modifications. This paper reviews the main nutrients that can cause epigenetic changes in dairy cattle by analyzing the effect of diet on milk production and its composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Lesta
- MMOPS Research Group, Departamento Producción y Sanidad Animal, Salud Pública y Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera—CEU, CEU Universities, 46115 Valencia, Spain;
| | - Pablo Jesús Marín-García
- Department of Animal Production and Health, Veterinary Public Health and Food Science and Technology (PASAPTA), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera—CEU, CEU Universities, 46113 Valencia, Spain;
| | - Lola Llobat
- MMOPS Research Group, Departamento Producción y Sanidad Animal, Salud Pública y Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera—CEU, CEU Universities, 46115 Valencia, Spain;
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Madureira AML, Burnett TA, Marques JCS, Moore AL, Borchardt S, Heuwieser W, Guida TG, Vasconcelos JLM, Baes CF, Cerri RLA. Occurrence and greater intensity of estrus in recipient lactating dairy cows improve pregnancy per embryo transfer. J Dairy Sci 2021; 105:877-888. [PMID: 34656349 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2021-20437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the association between occurrence and intensity of estrous expression with pregnancy success in recipient lactating dairy cows subjected to embryo transfer (ET). Two observational studies were conducted. Holstein cows were synchronized using the same timed ET protocol, based on estradiol and progesterone in both experiments. At 9 d after the end of the timed ET protocol only animals that had ovulated were implanted with a 7-d embryo [experiment 1 (Exp. 1); n = 1,401 ET events from 1,045 cows, and experiment 2 (Exp. 2); n = 1,147 ET events from 657 cows]. Embryos were produced in vivo (Exp. 1 and Exp. 2) and in vitro (only Exp. 2), then transferred to recipient cows as fresh or frozen-thawed. Pregnancy was confirmed at 29 and 58 d after the end of timed ET protocol. In Exp. 1, animals had their estrous expression monitored through a tail chalk applied on the tail head of the cows and evaluated daily for chalk removal (no estrus: 100% of chalk remaining; estrus: <50% of chalk remaining). In Exp. 2, cows were continuously monitored by a leg-mounted automated activity monitor. Estrous expression was quantified using the relative increase in physical activity at estrus in relation to the days before estrus. Estrous expression was classified as no estrus [<100% relative increase in activity (RI)], weak intensity (100-299% RI), and strong intensity (≥300% RI). Data were analyzed by analysis of variance using mixed linear regression models (GLIMMIX) in SAS (SAS Institute Inc.). A total of 65.2% (914/1,401) and 89.2% (1,019/1,142) of cows from Exp. 1 and Exp. 2, respectively, displayed estrus at the end of the ovulation synchronization protocol. In Exp. 1, cows expressing estrus before to ET had greater pregnancy per ET than those that did not [41.0 ± 2.3% (381/914) vs. 31.5 ± 2.9% (151/487), respectively]. Similarly, in Exp. 2, cows classified in the strong intensity group had greater pregnancy per ET compared with cows in the weak intensity and no estrus groups [41.3 ± 2.2% (213/571) vs. 32.7 ± 2.7% (115/353) vs. 11.3 ± 3.5% (26/218), respectively]. There was no effect of ET type on pregnancy per ET in Exp. 1. However, in Exp. 2, cows that received an in vivo-produced embryo, either fresh or frozen, had greater pregnancy per ET compared with cows that received in vitro-produced embryo. Cows receiving embryos in the early blastocyst and blastocyst stage had greater fertility compared with cows receiving embryos in the morula stage. There was an interaction between the occurrence of estrus and the stage of embryo development on pregnancy per ET, cows which displayed estrus and received a morula or early blastocyst had greater pregnancy per ET than cows that did not display estrus. In conclusion, the occurrence and the intensity of estrous expression improved pregnancy per ET in recipient lactating dairy cows and thus could be used as a tool to assist in the decision making of reproduction strategies in dairy farms.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M L Madureira
- Applied Animal Biology, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z4
| | - T A Burnett
- Applied Animal Biology, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z4; Ridgetown Campus, University of Guelph, Ridgetown, ON, Canada, N0P 2C0
| | - J C S Marques
- Applied Animal Biology, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z4
| | - A L Moore
- Applied Animal Biology, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z4
| | - S Borchardt
- Clinic of Animal Reproduction, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Berlin, Germany, 14163
| | - W Heuwieser
- Clinic of Animal Reproduction, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Berlin, Germany, 14163
| | - T G Guida
- Department of Animal Production, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, Brazil 18168-000
| | - J L M Vasconcelos
- Department of Animal Production, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, Brazil 18168-000
| | - C F Baes
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1; Institute of Genetics, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3002 Bern, Switzerland
| | - R L A Cerri
- Applied Animal Biology, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z4.
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Shao B, Sun H, Ahmad MJ, Ghanem N, Abdel-Shafy H, Du C, Deng T, Mansoor S, Zhou Y, Yang Y, Zhang S, Yang L, Hua G. Genetic Features of Reproductive Traits in Bovine and Buffalo: Lessons From Bovine to Buffalo. Front Genet 2021; 12:617128. [PMID: 33833774 PMCID: PMC8021858 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.617128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bovine and buffalo are important livestock species that have contributed to human lives for more than 1000 years. Improving fertility is very important to reduce the cost of production. In the current review, we classified reproductive traits into three categories: ovulation, breeding, and calving related traits. We systematically summarized the heritability estimates, molecular markers, and genomic selection (GS) for reproductive traits of bovine and buffalo. This review aimed to compile the heritability and genome-wide association studies (GWASs) related to reproductive traits in both bovine and buffalos and tried to highlight the possible disciplines which should benefit buffalo breeding. The estimates of heritability of reproductive traits ranged were from 0 to 0.57 and there were wide differences between the populations. For some specific traits, such as age of puberty (AOP) and calving difficulty (CD), the majority beef population presents relatively higher heritability than dairy cattle. Compared to bovine, genetic studies for buffalo reproductive traits are limited for age at first calving and calving interval traits. Several quantitative trait loci (QTLs), candidate genes, and SNPs associated with bovine reproductive traits were screened and identified by candidate gene methods and/or GWASs. The IGF1 and LEP pathways in addition to non-coding RNAs are highlighted due to their crucial relevance with reproductive traits. The distribution of QTLs related to various traits showed a great differences. Few GWAS have been performed so far on buffalo age at first calving, calving interval, and days open traits. In addition, we summarized the GS studies on bovine and buffalo reproductive traits and compared the accuracy between different reports. Taken together, GWAS and candidate gene approaches can help to understand the molecular genetic mechanisms of complex traits. Recently, GS has been used extensively and can be performed on multiple traits to improve the accuracy of prediction even for traits with low heritability, and can be combined with multi-omics for further analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baoshun Shao
- Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hui Sun
- Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Muhammad Jamil Ahmad
- Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Nasser Ghanem
- Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Hamdy Abdel-Shafy
- Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Chao Du
- Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Tingxian Deng
- Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Guangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Buffalo Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction Technology, Buffalo Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning, China
| | - Shahid Mansoor
- National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Yang Zhou
- Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- International Joint Research Centre for Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Province’s Engineering Research Center in Buffalo Breeding and Products, Wuhan, China
| | - Yifen Yang
- Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Shujun Zhang
- Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- International Joint Research Centre for Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Province’s Engineering Research Center in Buffalo Breeding and Products, Wuhan, China
| | - Liguo Yang
- Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- International Joint Research Centre for Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Province’s Engineering Research Center in Buffalo Breeding and Products, Wuhan, China
| | - Guohua Hua
- Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- International Joint Research Centre for Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Province’s Engineering Research Center in Buffalo Breeding and Products, Wuhan, China
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