Genomic insights into key genes and QTLs involved in cattle reproduction

From an economic standpoint, reproductive characteristics are fundamental for sustainable production, particularly for monotocous livestock like cattle. A longer inter-calving interval is indicative of low reproductive capacity. This issue changes the dynamics of current and future lactations since it necessitates more inseminations, veterinary care, and hormone interventions. Various reproductive phenotypes, including ovulation, mating, fertility, pregnancy, embryonic growth, and calving-related traits, are observed in dairy cattle, and these traits have been associated with several QTLs. Calving ease, age at puberty, scrotal circumference, and inseminations per conception have been associated with 4437, 10623, 10498, and 2476 Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs), respectively. This data offers valuable insights into enhancing and comprehending reproductive traits in livestock breeding. Studying QTLs associated with reproductive traits has far-reaching implications across various fields, from agriculture and animal husbandry to human health, evolutionary biology, and conservation. It provides the foundation for informed breeding practices, advances in biotechnology, and a deeper understanding of the genetic underpinnings of reproduction.

Relevance of pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics in veterinary clinical practice: A review

The recent advances in high-throughput next-generation sequencing technologies have heralded the arrival of the Big Data era. As a result, the use of pharmacogenetics in drug discovery and individualized drug therapy has transformed the field of precision medicine. This paradigm shift in drug development programs has effectively reshaped the old drug development practices, which were primarily concerned with the physiological status of patients for drug development. Pharmacogenomics bridges the gap between pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics, advancing current diagnostic and treatment strategies and enabling personalized and targeted drug therapy. The primary goals of pharmacogenetic studies are to improve drug efficacy and minimize toxicities, to identify novel drug targets, to estimate drug dosage for personalized medicine, and to incorporate it as a routine diagnostic for disease susceptibility. Although pharmacogenetics has numerous applications in individualized drug therapy and drug development, it is in its infancy in veterinary medicine. The objective of this review is to present an overview of historical landmarks, current developments in various animal species, challenges and future perspectives of genomics in drug development and dosage optimization for individualized medicine in veterinary subjects.