Effects of Environmental Factors on Animal Performance: A Focus on the Occurrence of Genotype–Environment Interaction and Epigenetic Effects

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Welfare".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2024 | Viewed by 1542

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Agricultural and Technological Sciences, Animal Science, Universidade Federal de Rondonópolis, Mato Grosso 78736-900, Brazil
Interests: animal breeding and genetics; genetic evaluation; genotype by environment interaction; beef cattle; dairy cattle

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Agricultural and Technological Sciences, Animal Science, Universidade Federal de Rondonópolis, Mato Grosso 78736-900, Brazil
Interests: animal breeding and genetics; genetic evaluation; beef cattle; dairy cattle

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Agricultural and Technological Sciences, Animal Science, Universidade Federal de Rondonópolis, Mato Grosso 78736-900, Brazil
Interests: animal breeding and genetics; genetic evaluation; beef cattle; dairy cattle

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Global challenges such as climate change, limited nutritional sources, and diseases have been imposed on animal performance. To adequately deal with these challenges, selecting genetically suitable animals for production and reproduction in extreme environmental conditions is one of the most promising alternatives for breeders, genetic improvement programs, and industry to meet their demands. In this sense, better knowledge of the relationship between animal performance and the environment is essential for developing strategies to optimize production systems and ensure animal production in the present and future.

We encourage authors to submit their contributions on (but not limited to) the following topics: thermal stress, photoperiod, nutritional sources, diseases, parasites, production environment, geographic location, and any other environmental factors that provide background for the occurrence of genotype–environment interaction and epigenetic effects on traits of economic interest in domestic animals. Selection strategies, advanced approaches, field and experimental data analysis, and quantitative and/or genomic tools are welcome.

Dr. Mário Luiz Santana Júnior
Dr. Rodrigo Junqueira Pereira
Dr. Annaiza Braga Bignardi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • adaptation
  • epigenetics
  • genotype by environment interaction
  • geographic location
  • management practices
  • nutritional constraints
  • quantitative genomics
  • resilience
  • thermal stress

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

25 pages, 3114 KiB  
Article
Genotype by Prenatal Environment Interaction for Postnatal Growth of Nelore Beef Cattle Raised under Tropical Grazing Conditions
by Mário L. Santana, Annaiza B. Bignardi, Rodrigo J. Pereira, Gerson A. Oliveira Junior, Anielly P. Freitas, Roberto Carvalheiro, Joanir P. Eler, José B. S. Ferraz, Joslaine N. S. G. Cyrillo and Maria E. Z. Mercadante
Animals 2023, 13(14), 2321; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13142321 - 15 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1089
Abstract
The prenatal environment is recognized as crucial for the postnatal performance in cattle. In tropical regions, pregnant beef cows commonly experience nutritional restriction during the second half of the gestation period. Thus, the present study was designed to analyze the genotype by prenatal [...] Read more.
The prenatal environment is recognized as crucial for the postnatal performance in cattle. In tropical regions, pregnant beef cows commonly experience nutritional restriction during the second half of the gestation period. Thus, the present study was designed to analyze the genotype by prenatal environment interaction (G × Epn) and to identify genomic regions associated with the level and response in growth and reproduction-related traits of beef cattle to changes in the prenatal environment. A reaction norm model was applied to data from two Nelore herds using the solutions of contemporary groups for birth weight as a descriptor variable of the gestational environment quality. A better gestational environment favored weights until weaning, scrotal circumference at yearling, and days to first calving of the offspring. The G × Epn was strong enough to result in heterogeneity of variance components and genetic parameters in addition to reranking of estimated breeding values and SNPs effects. Several genomic regions associated with the level of performance and specific responses of the animals to variations in the gestational environment were revealed, which harbor QTLs and can be exploited for selection purposes. Therefore, genetic evaluation models considering G × Epn and special management and nutrition care for pregnant cows are recommended. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop