Challenges of Animal Science Diversity in Times of Climate and Technological Change

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Animals animals	3.231	2.7	2011	17 Days	1800 CHF	Submit
Diversity diversity	3.031	2.9	2009	15.6 Days	2000 CHF	Submit
Genes genes	4.141	5.0	2010	16.7 Days	2400 CHF	Submit
Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens jzbg	-	-	2020	20.1 Days	1000 CHF	Submit
Life life	3.253	1.9	2011	13.4 Days	1800 CHF	Submit

Open AccessArticle

Genomic Diversity Analyses of Some Indigenous Montenegrin Sheep Populations

by

,

,

,

and

Diversity 2023, 15(5), 640; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15050640 - 09 May 2023

Viewed by 476

Abstract

Montenegro has a great diversity of indigenous and locally developed sheep breeds, adapted to different regions and climates. However, the current trend of the steady decline in sheep populations means that some of them are threatened with extinction. The aim of this study [...] Read more.

Montenegro has a great diversity of indigenous and locally developed sheep breeds, adapted to different regions and climates. However, the current trend of the steady decline in sheep populations means that some of them are threatened with extinction. The aim of this study was the investigation of the genetic diversity and population structure of five Montenegrin sheep populations, using the OvineSNP50K BeadChip. Data from the studied sheep were supplemented with publicly available genotypes of worldwide breeds to determine admixture contributions and genetic relationships. Higher genetic diversity and low inbreeding were observed in Pivska Pramenka and Sjenicka sheep, with Ho = 0.411, He = 0.423, and F_ROH>2Mb = 0.056 and Ho = 0.421, He = 0.421, and F_ROH>2Mb = 0.041, respectively. Zetska Zuja had much lower FIS (0.001) and high F_ROH inbreeding (0.090), indicating a small population size and genetic drift. An analysis of the genetic population structure showed that Montenegrin sheep populations are genetically distinct populations. This analysis revealed the presence of admixture in most sheep populations (high heterogeneity), while genetic purity was observed in Zetska Zuja. The obtained results will help in the conservation management of endangered Montenegrin sheep populations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Challenges of Animal Science Diversity in Times of Climate and Technological Change)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessArticle

Importance of Mid-Infrared Spectra Regions for the Prediction of Mastitis and Ketosis in Dairy Cows

by

,

,

,

and

Animals 2023, 13(7), 1193; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13071193 - 29 Mar 2023

Viewed by 686

Abstract

Mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy is routinely applied to determine major milk components, such as fat and protein. Moreover, it is used to predict fine milk composition and various traits pertinent to animal health. MIR spectra indicate an absorbance value of infrared light at 1060 [...] Read more.

Mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy is routinely applied to determine major milk components, such as fat and protein. Moreover, it is used to predict fine milk composition and various traits pertinent to animal health. MIR spectra indicate an absorbance value of infrared light at 1060 specific wavenumbers from 926 to 5010 cm⁻¹. According to research, certain parts of the spectrum do not contain sufficient information on traits of dairy cows. Hence, the objective of the present study was to identify specific regions of the MIR spectra of particular importance for the prediction of mastitis and ketosis, performing variable selection analysis. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) along with three other statistical methods, support vector machine (SVM), least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), and random forest (RF), were compared. Data originated from the Austrian milk recording and associated health monitoring system (GMON). Test-day data and corresponding MIR spectra were linked to respective clinical mastitis and ketosis diagnoses. Certain wavenumbers were identified as particularly relevant for the prediction models of clinical mastitis (23) and ketosis (61). Wavenumbers varied across four distinct statistical methods as well as concerning different traits. The results indicate that variable selection analysis could potentially be beneficial in the process of modeling. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Challenges of Animal Science Diversity in Times of Climate and Technological Change)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessArticle

The Effects of Freezing Media on the Characteristics of Male and Female Chicken Primordial Germ Cell Lines

by

,

,

,

,

Nikolett Tokodyné Szabadi

,

Maria Teresa Salinas Aponte

,

Mohd Adnan

,

Eszter Várkonyi

and

Elen Gócza

Life 2023, 13(4), 867; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13040867 - 23 Mar 2023

Viewed by 499

Abstract

Recently, in vitro gene preservation has gained ground thanks to its lower cost and higher stability compared to in vivo techniques. One of the methods that can preserve female-specific W chromosome-linked genes is primordial germ cell (PGC) freezing. PGCs can be isolated from [...] Read more.

Recently, in vitro gene preservation has gained ground thanks to its lower cost and higher stability compared to in vivo techniques. One of the methods that can preserve female-specific W chromosome-linked genes is primordial germ cell (PGC) freezing. PGCs can be isolated from Hamburger–Hamilton stage 14–16 embryos via blood sampling. In our experiment, we used two newly established Black Transylvanian naked neck chicken cell lines and four cell lines from our gene bank. We compared two different freezing media (FAM1 and FAM2) in this study. The cell number and viability of the PGCs were measured before freezing (BF) and after thawing on Day 0, Day 1, and Day 7 of cultivation. We analyzed the germ cell-specific chicken vasa homologue (CVH) expression profile in PGCs using RT-qPCR. We found that on Day 0, immediately after thawing, the cell number in cell lines frozen with the FAM2 medium was significantly higher than in the FAM1-treated ones. On Day 1 and Day 7, the cell number and viability were also higher in most cell lines frozen with FAM2, but the difference was insignificant. The freezing also affected the chicken vasa homologue gene expression in male lines treated with both freezing media. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Challenges of Animal Science Diversity in Times of Climate and Technological Change)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessArticle

The Role of PRLR Gene Polymorphisms in Milk Production in European Wild Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

by

,

,

,

,

Dávid Mezőszentgyörgyi

and

Tamás Molnár

Animals 2023, 13(4), 671; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13040671 - 15 Feb 2023

Viewed by 826

Abstract

One of the problematic points of rabbit breeding is that the nutritional requirements of the kits are not fully satisfied by the does’ milk production from the third week of lactation onwards. The prolactin receptor gene has a significant effect on reproductive processes, [...] Read more.

One of the problematic points of rabbit breeding is that the nutritional requirements of the kits are not fully satisfied by the does’ milk production from the third week of lactation onwards. The prolactin receptor gene has a significant effect on reproductive processes, and its polymorphisms have been associated with milk production in several species (cattle, goats, sheep, and buffalo). The European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), has a more diverse genetic background compared to domesticated lines. In the course of our study, sequencing of the 1210 bp long segment of the PRLR gene promoter region was accomplished. We detected four point mutations (SNP1-407G > A, SNP2-496G > C, SNP3-926T> and SNP4-973A > C) and one microsatellite at position 574. In our population, the four SNPs were segregated into four genotypes: AACCCCCC, GGGGTTAA, AAGGTTAC, and GGGGTCAC. Our results show that the genotype in the homozygous form is associated with higher milk production (1564.7 ± 444.7 g) compared to the other three genotypes (AACCCCCC 1399.1 ± 326.8 g; GTGACCTT 1403.8 ± 517.1 g; GGGGTCAC 1220.0 ± 666.2 g), and the short microsatellite repeat (167 bp) also coincides with significantly higher milk production (1623.8 ± 525.1 g). These results make the marker-assisted selection possible also for domesticated lines. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Challenges of Animal Science Diversity in Times of Climate and Technological Change)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Grape Pomace Intake on the Rumen Bacterial Community of Sheep

by

,

,

,

,

,

,

,

,

,

and

Diversity 2023, 15(2), 234; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15020234 - 07 Feb 2023

Viewed by 732

Abstract

The performance of ruminants is affected mainly by the rumen bacterial community. The composition and properties of the rumen bacterial community depend largely on the diet components that are fed to the ruminant. The aim of this study was to determine the effect [...] Read more.

The performance of ruminants is affected mainly by the rumen bacterial community. The composition and properties of the rumen bacterial community depend largely on the diet components that are fed to the ruminant. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of grape pomace intake on the rumen bacterial community of sheep. Four different diets, two of which contained dried grape pomace (DGP), were used in this study. Rumen fluid samples from 12 wethers were used for 16S rRNA gene sequencing and subsequent bacterial identification. At the phylum level, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes; at the family level, Prevotellaceae and Porphyromonadaeceae; and at the genera level, Prevotella and Verrucomicrobia_Subdivision5_genera_incertae_sedis were the most common regardless of the diet the animals were fed. After the addition of DGP to the diet, the relative abundance of Methanobrevibacter, Butytirivibrio, Fretibacterium, and Verrucomicrobia _Subdivision3 _genera_incertae_sedis significantly increased, whereas that of Succiniclasticum and Selenomonas significantly decreased. The upregulated pathway of methanogenesis from H₂ and CO₂ was supported by a significant increase in Methanobacteriaceae after the diet was supplemented with DGP. The rumen bacterial community diversity indices (Richness and Shannon) were significantly affected by diet composition as well as by the change of housing location. The addition of DGP into the wethers’ diet increased the richness of the rumen bacterial community, which is good for maintaining rumen bacterial homeostasis. No adverse effect of the addition of DPG on the rumen bacterial community was noted. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Challenges of Animal Science Diversity in Times of Climate and Technological Change)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Inbreeding Effects on Survival at Birth of Pannon White Rabbits Using the Inbreeding-Purging Model

by

,

,

,

,

Dávid Mezőszentgyörgyi

and

István Nagy

Diversity 2023, 15(1), 71; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15010071 - 06 Jan 2023

Viewed by 1049

Abstract

Mating between related animals is an inevitable consequence of a closed population structure especially when it coincides with a small population size. As a result, inbreeding depression may be encountered especially when considering fitness traits. However, under certain circumstances, the joint effects of [...] Read more.

Mating between related animals is an inevitable consequence of a closed population structure especially when it coincides with a small population size. As a result, inbreeding depression may be encountered especially when considering fitness traits. However, under certain circumstances, the joint effects of inbreeding and selection may at least partly purge the detrimental genes from the population. In the course of this study, our objective was to determine the status of purging and to quantify the magnitude of the eliminated genetic load for the survival at birth of Pannon White rabbit kits maintained in a closed nucleus population. The evolution of the survival at birth was evaluated by applying the PurgeR R package based on the inbreeding-purging model. In the period from 1992 to 2017, 22.718 kindling records were analyzed. According to the heuristic approach, the purging coefficient reached the maximum possible value of 0.5 when estimating between 1992 and 1997. Based on the expected fitness over generations and on the expressed opportunity of purging, the beneficial effects of purging could be expected after 10 generations. The proportion of the purged genetic load could be between 20% and 60%. While the results obtained are not entirely conclusive, they do raise the possibility that some of the inbreeding load was caused, at least in part, by genes that could be successfully removed from the population by purging. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Challenges of Animal Science Diversity in Times of Climate and Technological Change)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessArticle

Genetic Parameters of Reproductive Performances in Hungarian Large White, Landrace, and Their Crossbred F1 Pigs from 2010 to 2018

by

Oleksandr Kodak

,

Henrietta Nagyne-Kiszlinger

,

Janos Farkas

,

György Köver

and

Istvan Nagy

Diversity 2022, 14(12), 1030; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14121030 - 25 Nov 2022

Viewed by 864

Abstract

Genetic parameters, breeding values, and aggregate breeding values of number of piglets born alive (NBA), number of weaned piglets (NWE), and litter weight at weaning (LWWE) were predicted in the Hungarian Large White, Hungarian Landrace breeds, and in their cross (F1). Seven repeatability [...] Read more.

Genetic parameters, breeding values, and aggregate breeding values of number of piglets born alive (NBA), number of weaned piglets (NWE), and litter weight at weaning (LWWE) were predicted in the Hungarian Large White, Hungarian Landrace breeds, and in their cross (F1). Seven repeatability animal models were used. BLUP and REML methodology were used to estimate breeding values and variance–covariance components. PEST and VCE 6 software were used for estimating breeding values and variance components. Heritability for NBA and NWE was the same for all seven models. On the contrary, heritability estimates for LWWE were higher in comparison with NBA and NWE. The permanent environmental variance component was small for all traits. The large White breed had positive and significant genetic trends for all seven models and for all three traits. Landrace breed had significant trends for NBA, which was negative, and for NWE, the results were positive. The constructed indices result in one number (i.e., aggregate genetic merit); thus, the animals can be selected based on their overall performance considering the various aspects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Challenges of Animal Science Diversity in Times of Climate and Technological Change)

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of the Genetic Structure of Slovak Holstein Cattle Using Seven Candidate Genes Related to Milk Quality

by

Martina Miluchová

,

Michal Gábor

and

Juraj Gašper

Diversity 2022, 14(11), 989; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14110989 - 16 Nov 2022

Viewed by 1006

Abstract

Milk is an important component of human nutrition, and its composition and milk yield fundamentally affect the economy of dairy farms. Genetic variability is a fundamental premise for livestock breeding and is commonly used in the identification of individual animals and in selection [...] Read more.

Milk is an important component of human nutrition, and its composition and milk yield fundamentally affect the economy of dairy farms. Genetic variability is a fundamental premise for livestock breeding and is commonly used in the identification of individual animals and in selection to improve performance. The aims of this study were to propose a rapid detection method for genes affecting the nutritional value and technological properties of bovine milk (FADS1, FADS2, FASN, SCD, DGAT1, CSN2 and CSN3) and to analyze Slovak Holstein cattle to widen knowledge on their genetic structure for these candidate genes. Genotyping was performed by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and artificially created restriction site-polymerase chain reaction (ACRS-PCR) methods. Heterozygosity is an important factor for estimating genetic variation in domestic animals and represents the genetic potential and ability to adapt to the natural environment. In this study, Holstein cattle showed high heterozygosity values for markers FADS1-07 and CSN2-H67P. In contrast, they showed high homozygosity values for markers FADS1-01, FADS2-23, FASN-16024, SCD-T878C, DGAT1-K232A and CSN3-D148A. These results suggest that genetic diversity has been reduced, which may be due to breeding effects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Challenges of Animal Science Diversity in Times of Climate and Technological Change)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessArticle

Assessing Genetic Diversity and Searching for Selection Signatures by Comparison between the Indigenous Livni and Duroc Breeds in Local Livestock of the Central Region of Russia

by

Irina Chernukha

,

Alexandra Abdelmanova

,

Elena Kotenkova

,

Veronika Kharzinova

and

Natalia A. Zinovieva

Diversity 2022, 14(10), 859; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14100859 - 11 Oct 2022

Viewed by 1202

Abstract

Indigenous pig breeds are mainly associated with the adaptive capacity that is necessary to respond adequately to climate change, food security, and livelihood needs, and natural resources conservation. Livni pigs are an indigenous fat-type breed farmed in a single farm in the Orel [...] Read more.

Indigenous pig breeds are mainly associated with the adaptive capacity that is necessary to respond adequately to climate change, food security, and livelihood needs, and natural resources conservation. Livni pigs are an indigenous fat-type breed farmed in a single farm in the Orel region and located in the Central European part of the Russian Federation. To determine the genomic regions and genes that are affected by artificial selection, we conducted the comparative study of two pig breeds with different breeding histories and breeding objectives, i.e., the native fat-type Livni and meat-type Duroc breeds using the Porcine GGP HD BeadChip, which contains ~80,000 SNPs. To check the Livni pigs for possible admixture, the Landrace and the Large White breeds were included into the study of genetic diversity as these breeds participated in the formation of the Livni pigs. We observed the highest level of genetic diversity in Livni pigs compared to commercial breeds (_UH_E = 0.409 vs. 0.319–0.359, p < 0.001; A_R = 1.995 vs. 1.894–1.964, p < 0.001). A slight excess of heterozygotes was found in all of the breeds. We identified 291 candidate genes, which were localized within the regions under putative selection, including 22 and 228 genes, which were specific for Livni and Duroc breeds, respectively, and 41 genes common for both breeds. A detailed analysis of the molecular functions identified the genes, which were related to the formation of meat and fat traits, and adaptation to environmental stress, including extreme temperatures, which were different between breeds. Our research results are useful for conservation and sustainable breeding of Livni breed, which shows a high level of genetic diversity. This makes Livni one of the valuable national pig genetic resources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Challenges of Animal Science Diversity in Times of Climate and Technological Change)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessArticle

The Change in Microbial Diversity and Mycotoxins Concentration in Corn Silage after Addition of Silage Additives

by

,

,

,

,

,

,

,

and

Diversity 2022, 14(8), 592; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14080592 - 23 Jul 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1525

Abstract

In our study the presence of bacteria, yeast, and microscopic fungi was evaluated. Three forms of corn silage were made including silage without additive, silage with microbial additive (lactic acid bacteria), and silage with nutritional additive (urea). Silage additives were applied to the [...] Read more.

In our study the presence of bacteria, yeast, and microscopic fungi was evaluated. Three forms of corn silage were made including silage without additive, silage with microbial additive (lactic acid bacteria), and silage with nutritional additive (urea). Silage additives were applied to the matter within the recommended dosage, then the matter was ensiled into plastic bags and stored at a constant temperature. After 5.5 months of storage, average samples for microbial and mycotoxins analysis were taken. From microbiological points, the plate count agar method for enumeration of total count of bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, enterococci, yeasts, and microscopic fungi and mass spectrometry for microbiota identification were used. In total, 43 species of bacteria and yeasts and 6 genera of microscopic fungi were identified from all samples of corn silages. The most isolated species were Lentilactobacillus buchneri and Kazachstania exigua from bacteria resp. yeasts and Aspergillus and Penicillium from microscopic fungi. Mycotoxins were determined by HPLC-MS/MS and divided into two groups as regulated and emerging. In the corn silages only Fusarium mycotoxins were observed. All corn silages, regardless of the addition of the additive, were the highest in nivalenol content. Deoxynivalenol and beauvericin with the highest concentrations were present in silage with urea. Although the mycotoxins content of the variants changed, these changes were not statistically significant. In general, addition of lactic acid bacteria Lentilactobacillus buchneri and Lacticaseibacillus casei and urea as silage additives affect the microbial diversity; however, the hygienic quality of whole crop corn silage was not negatively changed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Challenges of Animal Science Diversity in Times of Climate and Technological Change)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Topic Menu

Topic Editors

Challenges of Animal Science Diversity in Times of Climate and Technological Change

Topic Information

Keywords

Participating Journals

Published Papers (10 papers)

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI