Special Issue "Genomics for Understanding the Architecture of Reproductive Traits in Livestock Animals"
A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Reproduction".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2021.
Special Issue Editor
Interests: genomics; reproduction; domestic animal; association studies; reproductive traits; genotyping; functional studies; genetic architecture
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Reproductive success is a key part of any animal production system. This is an important issue since it is well known that the underlying mechanisms associated with reproductive traits in domestic animals could be species specific and, therefore, the results obtained cannot be extrapolated.
One of the main limitations of studying reproductive traits is the difficulty of obtaining, objective phenotypes of animals. Additionally, many of the characteristics studied in males cannot be studied in females, and vice versa. However, the use of breeding program data, as well as the collaboration between breeders’ associations and scientists could be an interesting path to overcome those limitations and increase the number of individuals phenotyped.
Nowadays, in the age of genomics, an important part of a breeding program in most domestic animals is to produce and analyze genomic data. However, in some species, its use in studies involving reproductive traits is still scarce.
This Special Issue aims to compel research studies that could bring novel insights into the control of the reproductive function on the most common domestic animal species.
Prof. Sebastian Demyda
Keywords
- genomics
- reproduction
- domestic animals
- association studies
- reproductive traits
- genotyping
- functional studies
- genetic architecture
Planned Papers
The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.
Title: Genome-Wide Association Study for Fresh and Frozen Semen Quality in Stallions
Authors: Natalia Dementieva; Michael Atroshchenko; Yuri Shcherbakov; Elena Nikitkina; Andrey Kudinov; Marina Pozovnikova; Artem Dysin; Anna Krutikova; Artem Musidray; Olga Mitrofanova; Kirill Plemyashov
Affiliation: Russian Research Institute for Farm Animal Genetics and Breeding – Branch of the L.K. Ernst Federal Science Center for Animal Husbandry (RRIFAGB), 55А, Moskovskoye sh., Tyarlevo, St. Petersburg, Pushkin, 196625, Russian Federation
Abstract: The quality of stallion semen have a high level of individual variability. Genetic factors determining the quality of fresh and cryopreserved semen of stallions have not been studied enough. The aim of our study was to search for genome-wide associations with quality of fresh and cryopreserved stallion semen. The characteristics of fresh semen of stallions were studied: volume (VOL), concentration (SCON), progressive motility (PM), as well as total motility after freezing (FTM), progressive motility after freezing (FPM) and the ratio of progressive motility to total motility (RPM). 96 DNA samples from stallions of 24 breeds were genotyped on an Affymetrix Equine HD high-density chip. GWAS analysis revealed 56 SNPs on the 21th chromosome that were significantly associated with the quality of native and thawed sperm of stallions. 79 candidate genes were identified. VOL-related parts are located on ECA 1, 3, 5, 6, 10-12, 14, 18, 20, 21, 23, 26, 29. SCON-associated loci are located on chromosomes 1, 3, 15, 21, 22, 29, 31; PM - 1, 4, 15, 28, 29. Our studies which carried out on thawed sperm allowed to reveal statistically significant associations with the genes GRM8, PHACTR4 for the first time that functionally affecting energy metabolism in the cell, which affects the preservation of total motility after cryopreservation. Most of the identified significant SNPs were found in the regions of genes associated with the formation of male fertility. The analysis of possible mechanisms of the influence of these genes on the pathology of spermatogenesis, hormonal regulation, and cellular functions has been carried out. The identified genomic regions and candidate genes are a promising basis for studying the biological processes of the formation and functioning of the reproductive system of stallions.