Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader or to display this data on your own website or blog.

Rates of inbreeding and genetic adaptation for populations managed as herds in zoos with a rotational mating system or with optimized contribution of parents
This study compares two genetic management scenarios for species kept in herds, such as deer. The simulations were designed so that their results can be extended to a wide range of zoo populations. In the first scenario, the simulated populations of size 3 × 20, 6 × 40 or 20 × 60 (herds × animals in herd) were managed with a rotational mating (RM) scheme in which 10%, 20% or 50% of males were selected for breeding and moved between herds in a circular fashion. The second scenario was based on optimal contribution theory (OC). OC requires an accurate pedigree to calculate kinship; males were selected and assigned ...
Source: Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics - October 1, 2015 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: S. Mucha, H. Komen Tags: Original Article Source Type: research

Cow‐specific diet digestibility predictions based on near‐infrared reflectance spectroscopy scans of faecal samples
This study was designed to obtain information on prediction of diet digestibility from near‐infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) scans of faecal spot samples from dairy cows at different stages of lactation and to develop a faecal sampling protocol. NIRS was used to predict diet organic matter digestibility (OMD) and indigestible neutral detergent fibre content (iNDF) from faecal samples, and dry matter digestibility (DMD) using iNDF in feed and faecal samples as an internal marker. Acid‐insoluble ash (AIA) as an internal digestibility marker was used as a reference method to evaluate the reliability of NIRS predic...
Source: Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics - September 28, 2015 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: T. Mehtiö, M. Rinne, L. Nyholm, P. Mäntysaari, A. Sairanen, E.A. Mäntysaari, T. Pitkänen, M.H. Lidauer Tags: Original Article Source Type: research

Breeding implications resulting from classification of patellae luxation in dogs
Summary Patellar luxation (PL) is one of the major hereditary orthopaedic abnormalities observed in a variety of dog breeds. When the patellae move sideways out of the trochlear groove, this is called PL. The PL score varies between dogs from normal to very severe. Reducing the prevalence of PL by breeding could prevent surgery, thereby improve welfare. Orthopaedic specialists differentiate between normal and loose patellae, where the patellae can be moved to the edge of the trochlear groove, considering scoring loose patellae as normal in the future. Loose patellae are considered acceptable for breeding so far by the bree...
Source: Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics - September 25, 2015 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: E.M. Grevenhof, H.A.W. Hazewinkel, H.C.M. Heuven Tags: Original Article Source Type: research

Will models of genetic evaluation and genomic selection ‘converge’?
(Source: Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics)
Source: Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics - September 17, 2015 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: R.J.C. Cantet Tags: Editorial Source Type: research

Lack of haplotype structuring for two candidate genes for trypanotolerance in cattle
Summary Bovine trypanotolerance is a heritable trait associated to the ability of the individuals to control parasitaemia and anaemia. The INHBA (BTA4) and TICAM1 (BTA7) genes are strong candidates for trypanotolerance‐related traits. The coding sequence of both genes (3951 bp in total) were analysed in a panel including 79 Asian, African and European cattle (Bos taurus and B. indicus) to identify naturally occurring polymorphisms on both genes. In general, the genetic diversity was low. Nineteen of the 33 mutations identified were found just one time. Seventeen different haplotypes were defined for the TICAM1 gene, and...
Source: Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics - August 1, 2015 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: I. Álvarez, L. Pérez‐Pardal, A. Traoré, I. Fernández, F. Goyache Tags: Original Article Source Type: research

Genetic relationships among American donkey populations: insights into the process of colonization
This study presents the first insights into the genetic diversity and structure of the American donkey metapopulation. The primary objectives were to detect the main structural features underlying variability among American donkey populations, identify boundaries between differentiated gene pools, and draw the main colonization pathways since the introduction of donkeys into America in the 15th century. A panel of 14 microsatellite markers was applied for genotyping 350 American donkeys from 13 countries. The genetic structure of this metapopulation was analysed using descriptive statistics and Bayesian model‐based metho...
Source: Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics - August 1, 2015 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: J. Jordana, A. Ferrando, J. Miró, F. Goyache, A. Loarca, O.R. Martínez López, J.L. Canelón, A. Stemmer, L. Aguirre, M.A.C. Lara, L.A. Álvarez, S. Llambí, N. Gómez, L.T. Gama, M.F. Nóvoa, R.D. Martínez, E. Pérez, A. Sierra, M.A. Contreras, A.M. G Tags: Original Article Source Type: research

How many markers are enough? Factors influencing parentage testing in different livestock populations
Summary Reliability of parentage test panels is usually based on its power to exclude wrong parentage assignments based on allele frequencies. We evaluated the rates of false exclusions and inclusions in parentage assignments, and how these results are affected by allele frequencies, panel sizes and the number of allowed mismatches. We also evaluated the reliability of parentage testing by comparing populations with distinct genetic backgrounds using pure and composite families of cattle and sheep. Allowing for 1% genotype mismatches in true parent–offspring relations provided the best compromise between false‐positive...
Source: Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics - August 1, 2015 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: E.M. Strucken, S.H. Lee, H.K. Lee, K.D. Song, J.P. Gibson, C. Gondro Tags: Original Article Source Type: research

Optimizing selection with several constraints in poultry breeding
Summary Poultry breeding schemes permanently face the need to control the evolution of coancestry and some critical traits, while selecting for a main breeding objective. The main aims of this article are first to present an efficient selection algorithm adapted to this situation and then to measure how the severity of constraints impacted on the degree of loss for the main trait, compared to BLUP selection on the main trait, without any constraint. Broiler dam and sire line schemes were mimicked by simulation over 10 generations and selection was carried out on the main trait under constraints for coancestry and for anoth...
Source: Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics - July 30, 2015 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: H. Chapuis, C. Pincent, J.J. Colleau Tags: Original Article Source Type: research

Single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with thermoregulation in lactating dairy cows exposed to heat stress
In conclusion, specific genetic markers responsible for genetic variation in thermoregulation during heat stress in Holsteins were identified. These markers may prove useful in genetic selection for heat tolerance in Holstein cattle. (Source: Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics)
Source: Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics - July 22, 2015 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: S. Dikmen, X.‐z. Wang, M.S. Ortega, J.B. Cole, D.J. Null, P.J. Hansen Tags: Original Article Source Type: research

Genetic analysis of sow longevity and sow lifetime reproductive traits using censored data
Summary Sow longevity is a key component for efficient and profitable pig farming; however, approximately 50% of sows are removed annually from a breeding herd. There is no consensus in the scientific literature regarding a definition for sow longevity; however, it has been suggested that it can be measured using several methods such as stayability and economic indicators such as lifetime piglets produced. Sow longevity can be improved by genetic selection; however, it is rarely included in genetic evaluations. One reason is elongated time intervals required to collect complete lifetime data. The effect of genetic paramete...
Source: Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics - July 15, 2015 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: L. Engblom, J.A. Calderón Díaz, M. Nikkilä, K. Gray, P. Harms, J. Fix, S. Tsuruta, J. Mabry, K. Stalder Tags: Original Article Source Type: research

Genetic control of the environmental variance for birth weight in seven generations of a divergent selection experiment in mice
This study has demonstrated that the genetic control of the birth weight environmental variability is possible in mice. Nevertheless, before the results are applied directly in farm animals, it would be worth confirming any other implications on other important traits, such as robustness, longevity and welfare. (Source: Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics)
Source: Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics - July 7, 2015 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: N. Formoso‐Rafferty, I. Cervantes, N. Ibáñez‐Escriche, J.P. Gutiérrez Tags: Original Article Source Type: research

An important anniversary: 150 years since Mendel's laws of inheritance made their first public appearance
(Source: Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics)
Source: Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics - July 3, 2015 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: F.W. Nicholas, A. Mäki‐Tanila Tags: Editorial Source Type: research

Genetic selection for increased mean and reduced variance of twinning rate in Belclare ewes
Summary It is sometimes possible to breed for more uniform individuals by selecting animals with a greater tendency to be less variable, that is, those with a smaller environmental variance. This approach has been applied to reproduction traits in various animal species. We have evaluated fecundity in the Irish Belclare sheep breed by analyses of flocks with differing average litter size (number of lambs per ewe per year, NLB) and have estimated the genetic variance in environmental variance of lambing traits using double hierarchical generalized linear models (DHGLM). The data set comprised of 9470 litter size records fro...
Source: Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics - June 16, 2015 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: D.J. Cottle, A.R. Gilmour, T. Pabiou, P.R. Amer, A.G. Fahey Tags: Original Article Source Type: research

Assessing effective population size, coancestry and inbreeding effects on litter size using the pedigree and SNP data in closed lines of the Iberian pig breed
Summary The complete pedigree of two closed Iberian pig lines (Gamito and Torbiscal), with 798 and 4077 reproducers, has been used to measure the evolution of coancestry (f) and inbreeding (F) for autosomal and X‐linked genes along 16 and 28 respective equivalent discrete generations. At the last generation, the mean values of each line were f = 0.41 and 0.22, F = 0.35 and 0.18, fX = 0.46 and 0.22 and FX = 0.47 and 0.19, respectively. Other calculated parameters were the effective number of founders (final values, 6.8 and 35.2) and non‐founders (1.5 and 2.4), founder genome equivalents (1.2 and 2.3) and effecti...
Source: Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics - June 8, 2015 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: L. Silió, C. Barragán, A.I. Fernández, J. García‐Casco, M.C. Rodríguez Tags: Original Article Source Type: research

Two single nucleotide polymorphisms in the promoter of the ovine myostatin gene (MSTN) and their effect on growth and carcass muscle traits in New Zealand Romney sheep
Summary Myostatin is a negative regulator of muscle growth and development in mammals, and variation in ovine myostatin gene (MSTN) has been demonstrated to be associated with variation in the muscularity of sheep. Polymerase chain reaction–single‐stranded conformational polymorphism (PCR–SSCP) was used to look for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a 304‐bp amplicon from the promoter region of ovine MSTN. Sequence analyses revealed two previously identified SNPs (c.−2449G/C and c. −2379T/C) that resulted in three haplotypes (H1 (c.[−2449G; −2379C]), H2 (c.[−2449C; −2379C]) and H3 (c.[−2449G; �...
Source: Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics - June 1, 2015 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: J. Wang, H. Zhou, J. Hu, S. Li, Y. Luo, J.G.H. Hickford Tags: Original Article Source Type: research