scholarly journals Selection for Favorable Health Traits: A Potential Approach to Cope with Diseases in Farm Animals

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1717
Author(s):  
Guoyu Hu ◽  
Duy Ngoc Do ◽  
Janine Gray ◽  
Younes Miar
Keyword(s):  
Disease Control ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Genomic Selection ◽  
Genetic Selection ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Control Methods ◽  
Animal Farming ◽  
Eradication Strategy ◽  
Selection For

Disease is a global problem for animal farming industries causing tremendous economic losses (>USD 220 billion over the last decade) and serious animal welfare issues. The limitations and deficiencies of current non-selection disease control methods (e.g., vaccination, treatment, eradication strategy, genome editing, and probiotics) make it difficult to effectively, economically, and permanently eliminate the adverse influences of disease in the farm animals. These limitations and deficiencies drive animal breeders to be more concerned and committed to dealing with health problems in farm animals by selecting animals with favorable health traits. Both genetic selection and genomic selection contribute to improving the health of farm animals by selecting certain health traits (e.g., disease tolerance, disease resistance, and immune response), although both of them face some challenges. The objective of this review was to comprehensively review the potential of selecting health traits in coping with issues caused by diseases in farm animals. Within this review, we highlighted that selecting health traits can be applied as a method of disease control to help animal agriculture industries to cope with the adverse influences caused by diseases in farm animals. Certainly, the genetic/genomic selection solution cannot solve all the disease problems in farm animals. Therefore, management, vaccination, culling, medical treatment, and other measures must accompany selection solution to reduce the adverse impact of farm animal diseases on profitability and animal welfare.

scholarly journals Disease control and its selection for damaging plant virus strains in vegetatively propagated staple food crops; a theoretical assessment

2006 ◽  
Vol 274 (1606) ◽  
pp. 11-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
F van den Bosch ◽  
M.J Jeger ◽  
C.A Gilligan
Keyword(s):  
Disease Control ◽  
Plant Virus ◽  
Virus Titre ◽  
Viral Diseases ◽  
Food Crops ◽  
Control Methods ◽  
Staple Food ◽  
Risk Of Failure ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Virus Strains

Viral diseases are a key constraint in the production of staple food crops in lesser developed countries. New and improved disease control methods are developed and implemented without consideration of the selective pressure they impose on the virus. In this paper, we analyse the evolution of within-plant virus titre as a response to the implementation of a range of disease control methods. We show that the development of new and improved disease control methods for viral diseases of vegetatively propagated staple food crops ought to take the evolutionary responses of the virus into consideration. Not doing so leads to a risk of failure, which can result in considerable economic losses and increased poverty. Specifically in vitro propagation, diagnostics and breeding methods carry a risk of failure due to the selection for virus strains that build up a high within-plant virus titre. For vegetatively propagated crops, sanitation by roguing has a low risk of failure owing to its combination of selecting for low virus titre strains as well as increasing healthy crop density.

The nutritional choices of farm animals: to eat or what to eat?

1997 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 55-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Kyriazakis
Keyword(s):  
Food Intake ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Goal Orientation ◽  
Feeding Behaviour ◽  
Internal State ◽  
Genetic Selection ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Large Magnitude ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Change

AbstractIrrespective of whether farm animals are given access to a single homogeneous food or to two or more heterogeneous foods as a choice, their feeding behaviour raises one of two questions (i) how much to eat, and (ii) what to eat? Despite frequent comment to the contrary, their feeding behaviour appears to be goal-orientated rather than random or purposeless. I therefore consider first the goals of farm animals in relation to their feeding behaviour. In general it is accepted that the overall biological framework in which all animals are trying to maximize fitness’ also applies to farm animals. However, some modification is called for in order to account for those situations in which intensive genetic selection has led to relatively ‘unfit’ reproducing animals and for those cases where animals are given access to foods which have not figured in their evolutionOn the basis that feeding behaviour is goal orientated, I then consider whether farm animals achieve their goals by monitoring their behaviour in the short or longer term. The conclusion drawn is that while short-term feeding behaviour may be a device to exploit the feeding environment effectively, it is largely unrelated to short-term fluctuations in an animal’s internal state. By contrast, longer-term feeding behaviour is very closely related to longer-term change in internal state, implying the maintenance of close control over feeding behaviour in terms of food intake and diet selection. All animals, including farm animals, are considered to be creatures of habit which maintain habitual feeding behaviour until a change is provoked by a significant alteration in their internal state. Such an alteration requires to be of significantly large magnitude and to be unlike the usual short-term, systematic fluctuations which occur over a day in the profiles of metabolites or hormones. Based on this premise, I contend that the mechanisms by which these disturbances are perceived by the animal will be general rather than specific. The notion that animals can fully achieve their goals by monitoring their feeding behaviour is obviously applicable in situations where they are given appropriate nutritional choices. Where animals are given inadequate or inappropriate choices, as is predominantly the case with farm animals, their feeding behaviour is designed to bring them as close as possible to their goals. Finally I consider the relevance of nutritional choices to farm animals by addressing the possibility of exploiting the goal orientation of feeding behaviour. I conclude that greater recognition of the goal-orientated nature of farm animals’ feeding behaviour can bring benefits in three areas: (i) improved biological understanding of animals’ goals; (ii) improved animal welfare; and (iii) improved animal performance.

scholarly journals Genetic mechanisms underlying feed utilization and implementation of genomic selection for improved feed efficiency in dairy cattle

2020 ◽  
Vol 100 (4) ◽  
pp. 587-604 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luiz F. Brito ◽  
Hinayah R. Oliveira ◽  
Kerry Houlahan ◽  
Pablo A.S. Fonseca ◽  
Stephanie Lam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Genomic Selection ◽  
Feed Efficiency ◽  
Genetic Selection ◽  
Complex Trait ◽  
Feed Utilization ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Genetic Progress ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Indicator Traits

The economic importance of genetically improving feed efficiency has been recognized by cattle producers worldwide. It has the potential to considerably reduce costs, minimize environmental impact, optimize land and resource use efficiency, and improve the overall cattle industry’s profitability. Feed efficiency is a genetically complex trait that can be described as units of product output (e.g., milk yield) per unit of feed input. The main objective of this review paper is to present an overview of the main genetic and physiological mechanisms underlying feed utilization in ruminants and the process towards implementation of genomic selection for feed efficiency in dairy cattle. In summary, feed efficiency can be improved via numerous metabolic pathways and biological mechanisms through genetic selection. Various studies have indicated that feed efficiency is heritable, and genomic selection can be successfully implemented in dairy cattle with a large enough training population. In this context, some organizations have worked collaboratively to do research and develop training populations for successful implementation of joint international genomic evaluations. The integration of “-omics” technologies, further investments in high-throughput phenotyping, and identification of novel indicator traits will also be paramount in maximizing the rates of genetic progress for feed efficiency in dairy cattle worldwide.

scholarly journals Intensive genetic selection and meat quality concerns in the modern broiler industry

2021 ◽  
Vol 854 (1) ◽  
pp. 012077
Author(s):  
A Rajcic ◽  
M Z Baltic ◽  
I Brankovic Lazic ◽  
M Starcevic ◽  
B M Baltic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Meat Quality ◽  
Nutritional Value ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Genetic Selection ◽  
Negative Attitude ◽  
Poultry Meat ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Complex Concept ◽  
Broiler Industry

Abstract The genetic selection toward bigger broilers provoked the development of muscular myopathies and abnormalities. Since the affected meat is downgraded and often inadequate for further processing, economic losses to the broiler industry are inevitable. In addition, not only the nutritional value of the meat has been decreased, but also sensory properties and technological traits seem to concern consumers more. This can have a very negative attitude toward poultry meat as consumers connect these traits with poor animal welfare. To avoid these problems in the future, new studies must be focused on identifying markers in live birds for newly developed myopathies. Also, better strategies for determining genetic factors, nutritional and slaughter conditions, and hence meat quality, are a complex concept, and all factors together have an impact on parameters of meat quality.

scholarly journals Wooden breast and white striping: comparative occurrence in three poultry companies

2021 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina T. Fraga ◽  
Fátima R.F. Jaenisch ◽  
Jane O. Peixoto ◽  
Arlei Coldebella ◽  
Karen A. Borges ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Pectoralis Major Muscle ◽  
Genetic Selection ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
White Striping ◽  
Processing Plants ◽  
Poultry Processing ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Wooden Breast

ABSTRACT: To increase the amount of meat produced, researchers have promoted intensive genetic selection for growth rate and muscling and have improved nutrition and management conditions. However, there has been an increase in the number of reports of breast muscle myopathies observed in poultry processing plants, including white striping (WS) and wooden breast (WB). This study aimed to evaluate and to compare the occurrence of WS and WB myopathies in three poultry processing plants and to perform an anatomopathological characterization, including macroscopic and microscopic analyses. A total of 408,334 carcasses were condemned or downgraded due to the presence of WB or WS, which represents 0.73% of the total number of slaughtered animals during the evaluated period. WB was more frequent than WS, but the occurrence of each myopathy varied significantly according to each establishment. WB was more frequent in the establishment which includes only male flocks, an average age of 45 days, and an average live weight of 2775g (B). WS was more frequent in establishment with male, female and mixed flocks, average ages ranging from 41 to 44 days, and average live weight 1731g-2830g (A). It is probably related with specific condition of each poultry company, including genetics, age, nutrition and management conditions. Macroscopically, WB and WS lesions are characterized by hypertrophy and stiffness of the pectoralis major muscle. Under microscopy, the myopathies showed similarities regarding the detected histological abnormalities, characterized by a process of myodegeneration, although the connective tissue infiltrate was more severe in the breasts with WB than in those with WS myopathy. The results found in this study demonstrate that the rates of condemnation for these myopathies are high, vary significantly among the analyzed companies and may cause major economic losses for the productive sector in the region.

scholarly journals Reproductive Technologies and Genomic Selection in Cattle

2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrice Humblot ◽  
Daniel Le Bourhis ◽  
Sebastien Fritz ◽  
Jean Jacques Colleau ◽  
Cyril Gonzalez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genomic Selection ◽  
Genetic Selection ◽  
Reproductive Traits ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Combined Use ◽  
Reproductive Techniques ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Efficiency Of Selection ◽  
Near Future

The recent development of genomic selection induces dramatic changes in the way genetic selection schemes are to be conducted. This review describes the new context and corresponding needs for genomic based selection schemes and how reproductive technologies can be used to meet those needs. Information brought by reproductive physiology will provide new markers and new improved phenotypes that will increase the efficiency of selection schemes for reproductive traits. In this context, the value of the reproductive techniques including assisted embryo based reproductive technologies (Multiple Ovaluation Embryo Transfer and Ovum pick up associated toin vitroFertilization) is also revisited. The interest of embryo typing is discussed. The recent results obtained with this emerging technology which are compatible with the use of the last generation of chips for genotype analysis may lead to very promising applications for the breeding industry. The combined use of several embryo based reproductive technologies will probably be more important in the near future to satisfy the needs of genomic selection for increasing the number of candidates and to preserve at the same time genetic variability.

scholarly journals Genomic selection: the option for new robustness traits?

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 618-625 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. P. L. Calus ◽  
D. P. Berry ◽  
G. Banos ◽  
Y. de Haas ◽  
R. F. Veerkamp
Keyword(s):  
Genomic Selection ◽  
Genomic Prediction ◽  
Prediction Models ◽  
Genetic Selection ◽  
Reference Population ◽  
Progeny Testing ◽  
Production Traits ◽  
Large Populations ◽  
Dairy Cattle Breeding ◽  
Selection For

Genomic selection is rapidly becoming the state-of-the-art genetic selection methodology in dairy cattle breeding schemes around the world. The objective of this paper was to explore possibilities to apply genomic selection for traits related to dairy cow robustness. Deterministic simulations indicate that replacing progeny testing with genomic selection may favour genetic response for production traits at the expense of robustness traits, owing to a disproportional change in accuracies obtained across trait groups. Nevertheless, several options are available to improve the accuracy of genomic selection for robustness traits. Moreover, genomic selection opens up the opportunity to begin selection for new traits using specialised reference populations of limited size where phenotyping of large populations of animals is currently prohibitive. Reference populations for such traits may be nucleus-type herds, research herds or pooled data from (international) research experiments or research herds. The RobustMilk project has set an example for the latter approach, by collating international data for progesterone-based traits, feed intake and energy balance-related traits. Reference population design, both in terms of relatedness of the animals and variability in phenotypic performance, is important to optimise the accuracy of genomic selection. Use of indicator traits, combined with multi-trait genomic prediction models, can further contribute to improved accuracy of genomic prediction for robustness traits. Experience to date indicates that for newly recorded robustness traits that are negatively correlated with the main breeding goal, cow reference populations of ⩾10 000 are required when genotyping is based on medium- or high-density single-nucleotide polymorphism arrays. Further genotyping advances (e.g. sequencing) combined with post-genomics technologies will enhance the opportunities for (genomic) selection to improve cow robustness.

scholarly journals BRUCELLOSIS IN CATTLE AND BUFFALOES IN BRAZIL: A BRIEF REVIEW

2020 ◽  
pp. 228-232
Author(s):  
OLIVEIRA DAVID AUGUSTO CAVALCANTE DE ◽  
PORTAL CAMILLE GABRIELA RAMOS ◽  
OLIVEIRA CARLOS AUGUSTO CAVALCANTE DE ◽  
ARAÚJO ARIELLEN DA ROCHA ◽  
BATISTA RINALDO VIANA
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Insemination ◽  
Immunological Response ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Fetal Membrane ◽  
Control Methods ◽  
Direct Pcr ◽  
Transmission Pathways ◽  
And Control ◽  
Infection Pathway

Brucellosis has been defined as a zoonotic disease affecting a myriad of species like bovine and buffalo’s herd. This disease has broadly been reported in many regions from Brazil which may give rises economic losses because of reproductive problems caused to the home farm animals, including the necrosis process within testicles resulting upon male sterility and birth of weak calf and retention of the fetal membrane upon female ruminants (SOUSA et al., 2015, 2017). Because abortion personifies the key symptom, brucellosis is usually referred to as Infectious Abortion, Contagious Abortion, or Bang Disease; each abortion occurred must be considered as brucellosis. The causer of brucellosis on cattle and buffaloes is a gram-negative coco-bacilli of the genus Brucella named Brucella abortus of which DNA may be found for about second to last pregnancy month within both maternal tissue and fetal fluid. Epidemiologically, the main infection pathway in buffaloes is the uterine transmission (SOUSA et al., 2015; LEITE and BASTIANETTO, 2009; SILVEIRA, 2006) but the transmissions encompass contact with bacteria including oral, conjunctive, and dermal pathways, natural mount, and artificial insemination for both cattle and buffaloes. There are no therapeutical treatments for brucellosis which may be diagnosed by either direct (PCR, bacterium isolation, and so forth) or indirect (serology) exam. Once diagnosed, the appropriate control commonly used is the elimination of reagent animals whereas may involve modulation in animal transit as well. The present paper categorizes and describes common diagnostics, transmission pathways, and control methods in cattle and buffaloes within signs of brucellosis. Moreover, it was hypothesized the age may relate with an immunological response with the subsequent incidence of such disease.

Relationship between mitochondrial DNA haplogroup and litter size in the pig

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 267
Author(s):  
Dan Wang ◽  
Chao Ning ◽  
Jian-Feng Liu ◽  
Xingbo Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Mitochondrial Dna ◽  
Litter Size ◽  
Complex Traits ◽  
Genetic Selection ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Single Nucleotide ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Mtdna Haplogroup

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has been widely associated with complex traits in farm animals. The present study evaluated the effects of mtDNA on litter size in pigs. Mitogenome sequencing of 1017 sows distinguished 232 variations, including 229 single nucleotide polymorphisms and three indels, which constituted 11 haplotypes and further clustered into two haplogroups that differed significantly (P<0.05) in litter size. In order to explain the associations between the effect of haplogroup on litter size and different maternal origins, extant mitogenome sequences were used for phylogenetic or principal component analyses. The results of these analyses led to the identification of two groups, representing Chinese and European origins. The haplotypes corresponding to high litter size were all in the Chinese cluster, whereas haplotypes corresponding to low litter size were all in the European cluster. The results of this study suggest that the effect of haplogroup on litter size in the pig could be caused by diverse maternal origins, and that mtDNA haplogroup may be a marker for genetic selection for pig litter size.

scholarly journals Rainbow trout genetically selected for greater muscle fat content display increased activation of liver TOR signaling and lipogenic gene expression

2009 ◽  
Vol 297 (5) ◽  
pp. R1421-R1429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandrine Skiba-Cassy ◽  
Marine Lansard ◽  
Stéphane Panserat ◽  
Françoise Médale
Keyword(s):  
Rainbow Trout ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase ◽  
Fatty Acid Synthase ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Genetic Selection ◽  
Fat Content ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Tor Signaling ◽  
Selection For

Genetic selection is commonly used in farm animals to manage body fat content. In rainbow trout, divergent selection for low or high muscle fat content leads to differences in utilization of dietary energy sources between the fat muscle line (FL) and the lean muscle line (LL). To establish whether genetic selection on muscle fat content affects the hepatic insulin/nutrient signaling pathway, we analyzed this pathway and the expression of several metabolism-related target genes in the livers of the two divergent lines under fasting and then refeeding conditions. Whereas glycemia returned to basal level 24 h after refeeding in FL trout, it remained elevated in the LL trout. Target of rapamycin (TOR) protein was more abundant in the livers of FL trout than in LL trout, and refeeding activation of the hepatic TOR signaling pathway (TOR, S6K1, and S6) was therefore enhanced. Genes related to glycolysis (glucokinase and pyruvate kinase) and gluconeogenesis (glucose-6-phosphatase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase) were only slightly affected by refeeding and genetic selection. Refeeding stimulated expression of lipogenic genes and the sterol-responsive element binding protein (SREBP1), and expression of fatty acid synthase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and serine dehydratase was predominant in the livers of FL fish compared with LL fish. In agreement with recent findings linking TOR to lipogenesis control, we concluded that genetic selection for muscle fat content resulted in overactivation of the TOR signaling pathway-associated lipogenesis and probably also improved utilization of glucose.

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