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Zayas GA, Rodriguez EE, Hernandez AS, Rezende FM, Mateescu RG. Exploring genomic inbreeding and selection signatures in a commercial Brangus herd through functional annotation. J Appl Genet 2024; 65:383-394. [PMID: 38528244 DOI: 10.1007/s13353-024-00859-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Composite breeds, including Brangus, are widely utilized in subtropical and tropical regions to harness the advantages of both Bos t. taurus and Bos t. indicus breeds. The formation and subsequent selection of composite breeds may result in discernible signatures of selection and shifts in genomic population structure. The objectives of this study were to 1) assess genomic inbreeding, 2) identify signatures of selection, 3) assign functional roles to these signatures in a commercial Brangus herd, and 4) contrast signatures of selection between selected and non-selected cattle from the same year. A total of 4035 commercial Brangus cattle were genotyped using the GGP-F250K array. Runs of Homozygosity (ROH) were used to identify signatures of selection and calculate genomic inbreeding. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) enrichment analysis and literature search identified phenotypic traits linked to ROH islands. Genomic inbreeding averaged 5%, primarily stemming from ancestors five or more generations back. A total of nine ROH islands were identified, QTL enrichment analysis revealed traits related to growth, milk composition, carcass, reproductive, and meat quality traits. Notably, the ROH island on BTA14 encompasses the pleiomorphic adenoma (PLAG1) gene, which has been linked to growth, carcass, and reproductive traits. Moreover, ROH islands associated with milk yield and composition were more pronounced in selected replacement heifers of the population, underscoring the importance of milk traits in cow-calf production. In summary, our research sheds light on the changing genetic landscape of the Brangus breed due to selection pressures and reveals key genomic regions impacting production traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel A Zayas
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| | | | - Aakilah S Hernandez
- Department of Animal Science, North Carolina States University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Fernanda M Rezende
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Raluca G Mateescu
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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Ramos PM, Scheffler TL, Beline M, Bodmer J, Gerrard DE, Silva SL. Challenges and opportunities of using Bos indicus cattle to meet consumers' demand for quality beef. Meat Sci 2024; 207:109375. [PMID: 37924645 DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2023.109375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Abstract
Beef consumption is expected to increase worldwide, which necessitates the use of Bos indicus cattle that are well-adapted to harsher climates, like the tropics. Yet, beef from these cattle is considered inferior to that of Bos taurus breeds, primarily due to lowered tenderness values and reduced intramuscular fat content. However, the benefits of using Bos indicus genetics are numerous and undeniable. Herein, we explore how decreases in meat quality in these cattle may be offset by increases in livability. Further, we review the knowledge surrounding beef tenderness and explore the processes occurring during the early events of the transformation of muscle to meat that are different in this biological type and may be altered by stress. Growth rate, calpastatin activity and mitochondrial function will be discussed as they relate to tenderness. The opportunities of using Bos indicus cattle are of great interest to the beef industry worldwide, especially given the pressures for enhancing the overall sustainability and carbon footprint of this sector. Delivering a consistently high-quality product for consumers by exploiting Bos indicus genetics in a more sustainable manner will be proposed. Information on novel factors that influence the conversion of muscle to meat is explored to provide insights into opportunities for maximizing beef tenderization and maturation across all cattle. Exploring the use of Bos indicus cattle in modern production schemes, while addressing the mechanisms undergirding meat tenderness should provide the industry with a path forward for building greater demand through producing higher quality beef.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia M Ramos
- Animal Science Department, College of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of Sao Paulo, Pirassununga, SP, Brazil
| | - Tracy L Scheffler
- Animal Science Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Mariane Beline
- School of Animal Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Jocelyn Bodmer
- School of Animal Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - David E Gerrard
- School of Animal Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Saulo Luz Silva
- Animal Science Department, College of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of Sao Paulo, Pirassununga, SP, Brazil.
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Mateescu RG, Sarlo Davila KM, Hernandez AS, Andrade AN, Zayas GA, Rodriguez EE, Dikmen S, Oltenacu PA. Impact of Brahman genetics on skin histology characteristics with implications for heat tolerance in cattle. Front Genet 2023; 14:1107468. [PMID: 37229201 PMCID: PMC10203561 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1107468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Cattle lose heat predominantly through cutaneous evaporation at the skin-hair coat interface when experiencing heat stress. Sweating ability, sweat gland properties, and hair coat properties are a few of the many variables determining the efficacy of evaporative cooling. Sweating is a significant heat dissipation mechanism responsible for 85% of body heat loss when temperatures rise above 86⁰F. The purpose of this study was to characterize skin morphological parameters in Angus, Brahman, and their crossbred cattle. Skin samples were taken during the summer of 2017 and 2018 from a total of 319 heifers from six breed groups ranging from 100% Angus to 100% Brahman. Epidermis thickness decreased as the percentage of Brahman genetics increased where the 100% Angus group had a significantly thicker epidermis compared to the 100% Brahman animals. A more extended epidermis layer was identified in Brahman animals due to more pronounced undulations in this skin layer. Breed groups with 75% and 100% Brahman genes were similar and had the largest sweat gland area, indicative of superior resilience to heat stress, compared to breed groups with 50% or lower Brahman genetics. There was a significant linear breed group effect on sweat gland area indicating an increase of 862.0 µm2 for every 25% increase in Brahman genetics. Sweat gland length increased as the Brahman percentage increased, while the sweat gland depth showed an opposite trend, decreasing from 100% Angus to 100% Brahman. The number of sebaceous glands was highest in 100% Brahman animals which had about 1.77 more sebaceous glands (p < 0.05) per 4.6 mm2area. Conversely, the sebaceous gland area was greatest in the 100% Angus group. This study identified significant differences in skin properties related to heat exchange ability between Brahman and Angus cattle. Equally important, these differences are also accompanied by significant levels of variation within each breed, which is indicative that selection for these skin traits would improve the heat exchange ability in beef cattle. Further, selecting beef cattle for these skin traits would lead to increased resilience to heat stress without disrupting production traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raluca G. Mateescu
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Kaitlyn M. Sarlo Davila
- Infectious Bacterial Diseases Research Unit, National Animal Disease Centers, United States Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Aakilah S. Hernandez
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Andrea Nunez Andrade
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Gabriel A. Zayas
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Eduardo E. Rodriguez
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Serdal Dikmen
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bursa Uludağ University, Bursa, Türkiye
| | - Pascal A. Oltenacu
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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Neumann GB, Korkuć P, Arends D, Wolf MJ, May K, König S, Brockmann GA. Genomic diversity and relationship analyses of endangered German Black Pied cattle (DSN) to 68 other taurine breeds based on whole-genome sequencing. Front Genet 2023; 13:993959. [PMID: 36712857 PMCID: PMC9875303 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.993959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
German Black Pied cattle (Deutsches Schwarzbuntes Niederungsrind, DSN) are an endangered dual-purpose cattle breed originating from the North Sea region. The population comprises about 2,500 cattle and is considered one of the ancestral populations of the modern Holstein breed. The current study aimed at defining the breeds closest related to DSN cattle, characterizing their genomic diversity and inbreeding. In addition, the detection of selection signatures between DSN and Holstein was a goal. Relationship analyses using fixation index (FST), phylogenetic, and admixture analyses were performed between DSN and 68 other breeds from the 1000 Bull Genomes Project. Nucleotide diversity, observed heterozygosity, and expected heterozygosity were calculated as metrics for genomic diversity. Inbreeding was measured as excess of homozygosity (FHom) and genomic inbreeding (FRoH) through runs of homozygosity (RoHs). Region-wide FST and cross-population-extended haplotype homozygosity (XP-EHH) between DSN and Holstein were used to detect selection signatures between the two breeds, and RoH islands were used to detect selection signatures within DSN and Holstein. DSN showed a close genetic relationship with breeds from the Netherlands, Belgium, Northern Germany, and Scandinavia, such as Dutch Friesian Red, Dutch Improved Red, Belgian Red White Campine, Red White Dual Purpose, Modern Angler, Modern Danish Red, and Holstein. The nucleotide diversity in DSN (0.151%) was higher than in Holstein (0.147%) and other breeds, e.g., Norwegian Red (0.149%), Red White Dual Purpose (0.149%), Swedish Red (0.149%), Hereford (0.145%), Angus (0.143%), and Jersey (0.136%). The FHom and FRoH values in DSN were among the lowest. Regions with high FST between DSN and Holstein, significant XP-EHH regions, and RoH islands detected in both breeds harbor candidate genes that were previously reported for milk, meat, fertility, production, and health traits, including one QTL detected in DSN for endoparasite infection resistance. The selection signatures between DSN and Holstein provide evidence of regions responsible for the dual-purpose properties of DSN and the milk type of Holstein. Despite the small population size, DSN has a high level of diversity and low inbreeding. FST supports its relatedness to breeds from the same geographic origin and provides information on potential gene pools that could be used to maintain diversity in DSN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilherme B. Neumann
- Animal Breeding Biology and Molecular Genetics, Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institute for Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Paula Korkuć
- Animal Breeding Biology and Molecular Genetics, Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institute for Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Danny Arends
- Animal Breeding Biology and Molecular Genetics, Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institute for Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany,Department of Applied Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Manuel J. Wolf
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Justus-Liebig-Universität, Giessen, Germany
| | - Katharina May
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Justus-Liebig-Universität, Giessen, Germany
| | - Sven König
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Justus-Liebig-Universität, Giessen, Germany
| | - Gudrun A. Brockmann
- Animal Breeding Biology and Molecular Genetics, Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institute for Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany,*Correspondence: Gudrun A. Brockmann,
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Chessari G, Criscione A, Tolone M, Bordonaro S, Rizzuto I, Riggio S, Macaluso V, Moscarelli A, Portolano B, Sardina MT, Mastrangelo S. High-density SNP markers elucidate the genetic divergence and population structure of Noticiana sheep breed in the Mediterranean context. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1127354. [PMID: 37205231 PMCID: PMC10185747 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1127354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Among livestock species, sheep have played an early major role in the Mediterranean area. Italy has a long history of sheep breeding and, despite a dramatic contraction in numbers, still raise several local populations that may represent a unique source of genetic diversity. The Noticiana is a breed of the south-eastern part of Sicily appreciated both for its dairy products and for its resistance to harsh environment. In this study, the high-density Illumina Ovine SNP600K BeadChip array was used for the first genome-wide characterization of 48 individuals of Noticiana sheep to investigate its diversity, the genome structure and the relationship within the context of worldwide and Italian breeds. Moreover, the runs of homozygosity (ROH) pattern and the pairwise FST-outliers were examined. Noticiana reported moderate levels of genetic diversity. The high percentage of short and medium length ROH segments (93% under 4 Mb) is indicative of a within breed relatedness dating back to ancient times, despite the absence of management for the mating plans and the reduced population size. In the worldwide context, the Southern Italian, Spanish and Albanian breeds overlapped in a macro cluster which also included the Noticiana sheep. The results highlighted ancestral genetic components of Noticiana shared with Comisana breed, and showed the clear separation from the other Italian sheep. This is likely the consequence of the combined effects of genetic drift, small population size and reproductive isolation. ROH islands and FST-outliers approaches in Noticiana identified genes and QTLs involved in milk and meat production, as well as related to the local adaptation, and therefore are consistent with the phenotypic traits of the studied breed. Although a wider sampling could be useful to deepen the genomic survey on Noticiana, these results represent a crucial starting point for the characterization of an important local genetic resource, with a view of supporting the local economy and preserving the biodiversity of the sheep species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgio Chessari
- Dipartimento Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Andrea Criscione
- Dipartimento Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Marco Tolone
- Dipartimento Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Salvatore Bordonaro
- Dipartimento Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Ilaria Rizzuto
- Dipartimento Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Silvia Riggio
- Dipartimento Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Vito Macaluso
- Dipartimento Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Angelo Moscarelli
- Dipartimento Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Baldassare Portolano
- Dipartimento Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Sardina
- Dipartimento Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Salvatore Mastrangelo
- Dipartimento Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
- *Correspondence: Salvatore Mastrangelo,
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de Souza TC, de Souza TC, da Cruz VAR, Mourão GB, Pedrosa VB, Rovadoscki GA, Coutinho LL, de Camargo GMF, Costa RB, de Carvalho GGP, Pinto LFB. Estimates of heritability and candidate genes for primal cuts and dressing percentage in Santa Ines sheep. Livest Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2022.105048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Lu X, Abdalla IM, Nazar M, Fan Y, Zhang Z, Wu X, Xu T, Yang Z. Genome-Wide Association Study on Reproduction-Related Body-Shape Traits of Chinese Holstein Cows. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:1927. [PMID: 34203505 PMCID: PMC8300307 DOI: 10.3390/ani11071927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Reproduction is an important production activity for dairy cows, and their reproductive performance can directly affect the level of farmers' income. To better understand the genomic regions and biological pathways of reproduction-related traits of dairy cows, in the present study, three body shape traits-Loin Strength (LS), Rump Angle (RA), and Pin Width (PW)-were selected as indicators of the reproductive ability of cows, and we conducted genome-wide association analyses on them. The heritability of these three traits was medium, ranging from 0.20 to 0.38. A total of 11 significant single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected associated with these three traits. Bioinformatics analysis was performed on genes close to the significant SNPs (within 200 Kb) of LS, RA, and PW, and we found that these genes were totally enriched in 20 gene ontology terms and six KEGG signaling pathways. Finally, the five genes CDH12, TARP, PCDH9, DTHD1, and ARAP2 were selected as candidate genes that might affect LS. The six genes LOC781835, FSTL4, ATG4C, SH3BP4, DMP1, and DSPP were selected as candidate genes that might affect RA. The five genes USP6NL, CNTN3, LOC101907665, UPF2, and ECHDC3 were selected as candidate genes that might affect the PW of Chinese Holstein cows. Our results could provide useful biological information for the improvement of body shape traits and contribute to the genomic selection of Chinese Holstein cows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xubin Lu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225002, China; (X.L.); (I.M.A.); (M.N.); (Y.F.); (Z.Z.); (X.W.)
| | - Ismail Mohamed Abdalla
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225002, China; (X.L.); (I.M.A.); (M.N.); (Y.F.); (Z.Z.); (X.W.)
| | - Mudasir Nazar
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225002, China; (X.L.); (I.M.A.); (M.N.); (Y.F.); (Z.Z.); (X.W.)
| | - Yongliang Fan
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225002, China; (X.L.); (I.M.A.); (M.N.); (Y.F.); (Z.Z.); (X.W.)
| | - Zhipeng Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225002, China; (X.L.); (I.M.A.); (M.N.); (Y.F.); (Z.Z.); (X.W.)
| | - Xinyue Wu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225002, China; (X.L.); (I.M.A.); (M.N.); (Y.F.); (Z.Z.); (X.W.)
| | - Tianle Xu
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China;
| | - Zhangping Yang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225002, China; (X.L.); (I.M.A.); (M.N.); (Y.F.); (Z.Z.); (X.W.)
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