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Chen Z, Brito LF, Luo H, Shi R, Chang Y, Liu L, Guo G, Wang Y. Genetic and Genomic Analyses of Service Sire Effect on Female Reproductive Traits in Holstein Cattle. Front Genet 2021; 12:713575. [PMID: 34539741 PMCID: PMC8446201 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.713575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Fertility and reproductive performance are key drivers of dairy farm profitability. Hence, reproduction traits have been included in a large majority of worldwide dairy cattle selection indexes. The reproductive traits are lowly heritable but can be improved through direct genetic selection. However, most scientific studies and dairy cattle breeding programs have focused solely on the genetic effects of the dam (GED) on reproductive performance and, therefore, ignored the contribution of the service sire in the phenotypic outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the service sire effects on female reproductive traits in Holstein cattle from a genomic perspective. Genetic parameter estimation and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were performed for the genetic effect of service sire (GESS) on conception rate (CR), 56-day non-return rate (NRR56), calving ease (CE), stillbirth (SB), and gestation length (GL). Our findings indicate that the additive genetic effects of both sire and dam contribute to the phenotypic variance of reproductive traits measured in females (0.0196 vs. 0.0109, 0.0237 vs. 0.0133, 0.0040 vs. 0.0289, 0.0782 vs. 0.0083, and 0.1024 vs. 0.1020 for GESS and GED heritability estimates for CR, NRR56, CE, SB, and GL, respectively), and these two genetic effects are positively correlated for SB (0.1394) and GL (0.7871). Interestingly, the breeding values for GESS on insemination success traits (CR and NRR56) are unfavorably and significantly correlated with some production, health, and type breeding values (ranging from -0.449 to 0.274), while the GESS values on calving traits (CE, SB, and GL) are usually favorably associated with those traits (ranging from -0.493 to 0.313). One hundred sixty-two significant single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and their surrounding protein-coding genes were identified as significantly associated with GESS and GED, respectively. Six genes overlapped between GESS and GED for calving traits and 10 genes overlapped between GESS for success traits and calving traits. Our findings indicate the importance of considering the GESS when genetically evaluating the female reproductive traits in Holstein cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziwei Chen
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, MARA, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Luiz F. Brito
- Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Hanpeng Luo
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, MARA, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Rui Shi
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, MARA, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yao Chang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, MARA, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Liu
- Beijing Dairy Cattle Center, Beijing, China
| | - Gang Guo
- Beijing Sunlon Livestock Development Company Limited, Beijing, China
| | - Yachun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, MARA, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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Jaton C, Schenkel FS, Chud TCS, Malchiodi F, Sargolzaei M, Price CA, Canovàs A, Baes C, Miglior F. Genetic and genomic analyses of embryo production in dairy cattle. Reprod Fertil Dev 2020; 32:50-55. [PMID: 32188557 DOI: 10.1071/rd19275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The Canadian dairy industry has been using invivo and invitro assisted reproductive technologies to produce embryos. Technological improvements have helped increase the number and quality of embryos produced, but genetic and genomic tools for improving these traits have yet to be assessed for the Canadian Holstein population. Genetic parameters and a genome-wide association study were performed in Canadian Holstein for the total number of embryos (NE) and the number of viable embryos (VE). Results showed potential for genetic selection for both NE and VE, with heritability estimates (± s.e.) of approximately 0.15±0.01. Genetic correlations between the number of embryos produced using different procedures (invivo and invitro) suggested that a similar number of embryos should be expected from a donor regardless of the procedure used. A region on chromosome 11 of the bovine genome was found to be significantly associated with the number of embryos, indicating a potential regulatory role of this region on embryo production. Overall, these findings are of interest for the Canadian dairy industry because they provide useful information for breeders that are interested in producing embryos from the elite donors in their herds or in the population using assisted reproductive technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Jaton
- The Semex Alliance, 5653 ON-6, Guelph, ON N1G 3Z2, Canada
| | - F S Schenkel
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock (CGIL), University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - T C S Chud
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock (CGIL), University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - F Malchiodi
- The Semex Alliance, 5653 ON-6, Guelph, ON N1G 3Z2, Canada
| | - M Sargolzaei
- Select Sires Inc., 11740 US-42, Plain City, OH 43064, USA
| | - C A Price
- Université de Montréal, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, 3200 Rue Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2, Canada
| | - A Canovàs
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock (CGIL), University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - C Baes
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock (CGIL), University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - F Miglior
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock (CGIL), University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; and Ontario Genomics, 661 University Ave, Suite 490, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada; and Corresponding author.
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Fleming A, Abdalla EA, Maltecca C, Baes CF. Invited review: Reproductive and genomic technologies to optimize breeding strategies for genetic progress in dairy cattle. Arch Anim Breed 2018. [DOI: 10.5194/aab-61-43-2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract. Dairy cattle breeders have exploited technological advances that have emerged in the past in regards to reproduction and genomics. The implementation of such technologies in routine breeding programs has permitted genetic gains in traditional milk production traits as well as, more recently, in low-heritability traits like health and fertility. As demand for dairy products increases, it is important for dairy breeders to optimize the use of available technologies and to consider the many emerging technologies that are currently being investigated in various fields. Here we review a number of technologies that have helped shape dairy breeding programs in the past and present, along with those potentially forthcoming. These tools have materialized in the areas of reproduction, genotyping and sequencing, genetic modification, and epigenetics. Although many of these technologies bring encouraging opportunities for genetic improvement of dairy cattle populations, their applications and benefits need to be weighed with their impacts on economics, genetic diversity, and society.
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