Animal Biotechnology最新文献

Sheep breeding has been a fundamental aspect of livestock farming for thousands of years, supplying humans with wool, meat, and milk. As the livestock sector adapts to contemporary needs, the increasing global demand for animal products, fueled by population growth, highlights the significance of effective breeding techniques. Growth and meat traits are a key factor in sheep breeding, directly impacting resource efficiency and breeder profitability. In this review, we have explored the advantages of molecular marker-assisted selection (MAS) and its specific applications in breeding meat sheep. We summarized research on quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and genome-wide association studies (GWAS), as well as variations in key genes, including myostatin (MSTN), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), and calpastatin (CAST), associated with growth, meat quality, and carcass traits in sheep. The advancements in molecular breeding for meat sheep, along with improvements in sheep genetics, genomic selection, and genome editing, have enhanced our understanding of DNA markers and demonstrated the genetic diversity present in meat sheep, significantly enriching sheep breeding strategies. Improvements in sample size, phenotyping efficiency, and the integration of omics studies could enhance our understanding of gene interactions, enabling MAS technology to reach its full potential.

Body weight and withers height are critical indicators of growth in animals, influencing husbandry practices. In this study, we measured the body weight and withers height of Gannan yaks at different ages (0, 6, 18, 30, 42, 54, 66, and 78 months). Four nonlinear growth models (Logistic, Gompertz, von Bertalanffy, and Brody) were evaluated. The Brody model was identified as the best fit for both body weight and withers height. Females exhibited lower A values and higher K values than males, suggesting earlier onset of puberty. The absolute growth rate (AGR) for males ranged from 16.979 to 0.809 kg/month, while for females, it ranged from 7.202 to 0.588 kg/month. The relative growth rate (RGR) ranged from 74.00 to 0.18% for males and 27.12 to 0.25% for females. Regarding withers height, the AGR and RGR for males ranged from 3.749 to 0.0409 cm/month and 6.69 to 0.034%, respectively. For females, these values ranged from 3.765 to 0.0294 cm/month and 7.02 to 0.026%. Females exhibited fasterGA from birth to 78-months, while males had higher GA in withers height until 17 months, after which females surpassed malesA. Overall, males can achieve larger mature sizes, but females exhibited faster early GA.

This study aims to explore the effects of Yin and Yang Double Supplement Compound Chinese Medicine Preparations (YYSBFF) on the reproductive performance, antioxidant levels, and immunity of dairy goats. For the experiment, 36 Alps milk goats were selected and randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group, with 18 goats in each group. The ewes in the experimental group were fed with YYSBFF for 14 d prior to breeding and farrowing. The results of the experiment showed that the estrus rate, embryo acceptance rate, and lamb birth weight in the experimental group were higher than those in the control group, and the weak lamb rate was significantly lower. Moreover, the experimental group exhibited higher levels of reproductive hormones (FSH, LH), antioxidant factors (T-SOD, GSH-Px, MDA), and immunoglobulins (IgA, IgM, IgG) compared to the control group. There were no significant differences in liver and kidney function indicators (ALT, AST, TP, ALB, CREA, UREA) between the experimental and control groups (p > .05). These findings indicate that YYSBFF can enhance the reproductive performance of dairy goats by regulating the level of sex hormones, while also improving the body's antioxidant and immune abilities.

The study assessed the inclusion level effects of a phytogenic blend (PB) on performance and critical molecular biomarkers related to detoxification (Aryl hydrocarbon receptor; AhR) and antioxidant (Nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2; Nrf2) responses in layers' ovary and liver. Layers (n = 385; 21-week-old; Hy-Line Brown) were allotted to 5 treatments with 7 replicates of 11 hens each, for a 12-week feeding trial. Treatments were: control (CON) without PB or supplementation with PB at 250 (PB250), 750 (PB750), 1000 (PB1000) and 1500 mg/kg diet (PB1500), respectively. Performance was determined weekly for the 12-week experimental period. At the 6^th and 12^th experimental week ovarian and liver samples were collected for gene expression analysis. Increasing PB inclusion level, improved linearly and quadratically overall laying rate, egg mass and FCR, with optimal (P ≤ 0.001) performance notable in the PB750 compared to CON. The nutrigenomic analysis revealed that PB inclusion resulted (P ≤ 0.05) in consistent beneficial modulation of the AhR/Nrf2 pathway-related genes assessed at the 6^th and 12^th experimental week, both in the ovary and the liver of laying hens. In conclusion, PB beneficially modulated the ovarian and hepatic adaptive cytoprotection and supported the laying performance improvements recorded, with PB750 displaying the optimal benefits.

N6-methyladenosine (m⁶A) is an important epigenetic modification in RNA, playing a crucial role in regulating the production and aging of animal testicular sperm. This study extracted mRNA from the testicular tissue of male goats before and after sexual maturity, generating a methylation map through preliminary experiments and methylation immunoprecipitation sequencing. The results showed that during the development of dairy goats, the expression levels of marker genes related to testicular development and methylation-related enzymes changed significantly. A total of 36,602 peaks and 11,223 genes were identified in the two groups, including 2989 differential peaks (427 upregulated and 2562 downregulated) and 1457 differentially expressed genes (833 upregulated and 624 downregulated). The abundance of m⁶A was positively correlated with gene expression levels. This study reports for the first time the mRNA profiles of m⁶A modifications across the entire transcriptome during testicular development in Guanzhong dairy goats, providing a new perspective for genetic improvement in goats.

Healthy Qinchuan bulls aged 8.5-9.5 years were selected and randomly divided into 6 groups based on 0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10% dietary supplementation of peony seed meal for three months. Overall, linear motility (LM), progressive motility (PM), straight-line velocity (VSL), curvilinear velocity (VCL), and the percentage increase of all sperm grades (A to D) were affected (p<0.05) by the dietary supplementation. LM (29.5 vs. 24.1%), PM (69.4 vs. 60.0%), VLS (38.0 vs. 33.3 μm/s), and VCL (48.3 vs. 44.3 μm/s) were consistently higher in the 6% peony seed meal dietary supplementation groups than in the control group, respectively. A similar pattern was observed in the 8% group. Inversely to sperm grades C and D, grades A and B were higher in all treated groups than the control group, except for the 2% group in sperm grade A. Moreover, the levels of the enzymes Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR; except for 2% peony seed group), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) were higher than the control group. The level of malondialdehyde (MDA) was lower in all treated groups than in the control group. Dietary supplementation of 2-8% peony seed meal improves the semen quality of aged Qinchuan bulls.

In pigs, the effect of sex on production and reproductive traits has been largely reported, however, whether sex exerts its influence through regulating mitochondrial function is still unclear. In this study, we constructed 15 male cells and 15 female fibroblasts derived from 35-day and 50-day fetuses, newborn piglets and 1-year-old pigs to identify the sex effect on mitochondrial functions. Results indicated significant differences on cellular and molecular characteristics between male and female cells, including energy metabolic trait, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) replication and transcription, and mRNA expressions of mitochondrial biogenesis genes and mitoprotease genes. Referring to sex, males exhibited significantly higher oxygen consumption rate productions, levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mtDNA copy numbers than those with females in muscle and ear fibroblasts. And the expressions of mtDNA, mitochondrial biogenesis genes (POLG, PPARGC1A, TFAM and TWNK) and XPNPEP3 were higher in males than females in ear fibroblasts derived from 1-year-old adult pigs (EFA cells). While, the cell proliferation and expressions of genes related to ROS metabolism were not influenced by sex. The results highlight the effect of sex on mitochondrial function and gene expression, and provide important data for a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms underlying sex regulation of energy metabolism-related traits in pigs.

This article strove to characterize and compare biochemical, oxidative, bacteriological and immunological semen properties in Zemplin, Liptov Baldspotted and New Zealand rabbits. Besides, bacteria were characterized using the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Oxidative profile of semen was assessed using chemiluminescent and colorimetric protocols. Levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines were evaluated with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Seminal plasma biochemistry was assessed with an automated clinical chemistry analyser. The lowest sperm concentration and motility were found in the Liptov Baldspotted ejaculates which also presented with significantly (p < 0.01) elevated levels of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 1, free radicals (p < 0.0001) and malondialdehyde (p < 0.0001) in comparison to New Zealand rabbits. The prevailing bacterial genera in semen were Stenotrophomonas spp., Staphylococcus spp., Micrococcus spp. and Acinetobacter spp. Significantly increased levels of alanine transaminase and creatinine (Crea) were found in New Zealand rabbits in comparison to the Liptov Baldspotted breed (p < 0.001). Overall, Liptov Baldspotted rabbits produced semen of lower quality than Zemplin and New Zealand rabbits, suggesting that this breed may be more predisposed to a higher susceptibility to internal and external stresses which may interfere with male fertility.

The gastrointestinal microbiome is pivotal to nutrient utilization and productivity in dairy cattle. This study compared the ruminal and fecal microbiomes of Holstein, Jersey, and Jeju Black cattle using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and three taxonomic classification databases to identify microbial differences across breeds. A total of 25 samples were analysed to evaluate microbial composition, diversity, functional phenotypes, and interactions. Jeju Black cattle exhibited significantly higher ruminal diversity (p < 0.001), whereas Holstein and Jersey cows had more diverse fecal microbiomes. Prevotella, Ruminococcus and Succinivibrio dominated the rumen of commercial breeds, while Methanobrevibacter and Desulfovibrio were enriched in Jeju Black cattle. Amino acid prototrophs were abundant in Holstein and Jersey feces, while sulfur-metabolizing microbial phenotypes predominated in the Jeju Black rumen, with implications for nitrogen metabolism and methane production. Microbial network analysis revealed Mogibacterium as a high-centrality genus in Holstein and Jersey cows, and Anaerovibrio in Jersey cows, potentially linked to propionate production. Jeju Black cattle displayed distinct microbial interactions involving sulphur-reducing and methanogenic bacteria. These results might be showing breed-related microbiome variability, potentially influencing feed efficiency, fermentation, and emissions. However, future work should standardize diets, feeding conditions, sampling methods, and include performance metrics to clarify breed-specificity of microbiome-function relationships.

This study was designed to assess the genetic diversity and population genetic structure of five sheep breeds in Shanxi Province, China, and to infer the heterosis potential based on their genetic relationships using 20 genome-wide microsatellite markers. Our analysis focused on the local Guangling Large Tail Sheep (GLLTS) breed and four introduced breeds: Hu Sheep (HS), Oula Tibetan Sheep (OLTS), Texel Sheep (TS), and Small Tail Han Sheep (STHLS). The results demonstrated that all microsatellite loci exhibited high levels of polymorphism, making them suitable for evaluating genetic diversity. The genetic parameters indicating that the five populations possess substantial genetic diversity. The genetic variation index (Fst) results among the five populations showed that moderate differentiation between populations. The genetic structure analysis results and the UPGMA clustering diagram were largely consistent. TS exhibited a distant genetic relationship with the other breeds, while HS and GLLTS shared the closest genetic relationship. Based on these genetic evidences, crossing GLLTS with TS or STHLS could potentially achieve a greater degree of heterosis. These research findings provide a molecular genetic foundation for analyzing the genetic diversity of sheep in Shanxi Province and offer guidance for hybrid breeding programs aimed at optimizing breed performance and resource conservation.