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Animals
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Genetic Research for Improving Livestock Heat Stress Resistance
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Genetic Research for Improving Livestock Heat Stress Resistance

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 June 2025 | Viewed by 2004

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Kun-Lin Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
Interests: animal stress; cell biology; gene function; bioinformatics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The productive performance of farm animals, such as lactation performance, growth rate and reproductive efficiency, is affected by various stresses that regulate physiological processes such as metabolism, growth and immunity in various ways. Exploring the key genes and their molecular mechanisms affecting the physiological processes of metabolism, growth and immunity can help to realize scientific and rational genetic selection, nutritional regulation, environmental management, disease control and hormone balance, which can significantly improve the productivity and economic benefits of farm animals.

We encourage you to share new information about any regulations of farm animal stress.

Dr. Kun-Lin Chen
Guest Editor

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

  • farm animals
  • production performance
  • stress response

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 5014 KiB  
Article
UFBP1 Ameliorates Heat Stress-Induced Apoptosis via Mitochondria-Mediated Pathway in Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cells
by Yuan Li, Ran Yu, Shujing Tan, Yunlong Jiang, Longwei Sun, Manman Shen, Chuanjian Zhang, Kunlin Chen and Chengmin Li
Animals 2025, 15(9), 1233; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15091233 - 27 Apr 2025
Viewed by 113
Abstract
Heat stress in dairy cows is aggravated by Global warming, which negatively affects their performance and health, especially high yielding cows are more susceptible to high temperature and humidity in summer. Besides increasing body temperature and reducing feed intake, heat stress also compromises [...] Read more.
Heat stress in dairy cows is aggravated by Global warming, which negatively affects their performance and health, especially high yielding cows are more susceptible to high temperature and humidity in summer. Besides increasing body temperature and reducing feed intake, heat stress also compromises mammary gland function by inducing apoptosis in bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs). UFBP1 (Ufm1-binding protein 1) serves as an essential component of ufmylation, is crucial for the preservation of cellular homeostasis. However, little is known about its contribution to heat stress-induced apoptosis in BMECs. Therefore, the present study aimed to elucidate the effect of UFBP1 on heat stress-induced apoptosis through knockdown and overexpression of UFBP1 in BMECs. The results showed that heat stress triggered cell apoptosis (increased apoptosis rate and Bax/Bcl-2 protein expression) and decreased the expression of genes associated with the production of milk fat and protein both in vivo and in vitro studies. Furthermore, UFBP1 silencing aggravated the high-temperature-induced cell damage, and overexpression of UFBP1 attenuated heat stress-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, as evidenced by increased mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), ATP synthesis and NAD+/NADH ratio, as well as the reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Importantly, the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway triggered by heat stress was blocked by UFBP1, as indicated by the reduced apoptosis rate and Bax/Bcl-2 protein expression. In addition, UFBP1 restored the expression of milk fat and protein-related genes in heat-stressed BMECs. In conclusion, these findings indicate that UFBP1 may serve as a promising therapeutic target for ameliorating heat stress in dairy cows, thereby providing novel theoretical insights into the mitigation of adverse thermal stress effects on livestock productivity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Research for Improving Livestock Heat Stress Resistance)
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16 pages, 2765 KiB  
Article
Effects of Heat Shock Protein 70 Gene Polymorphism on Heat Resistance in Beef and Dairy Calves Based on Proliferation and Heat Shock Protein 70 Gene Expression in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells and Hair Follicles
by Won Seob Kim, Yong Ho Jo, Jalil Ghassemi Nejad and Hong Gu Lee
Animals 2025, 15(4), 475; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15040475 - 7 Feb 2025
Viewed by 777
Abstract
The study objectives were to investigate the heat resistance using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and hair follicles in beef and dairy calves based on heat shock protein (HSP) 70 genetic polymorphisms. The hair follicle samples from sixty calves (6 months old; 30 [...] Read more.
The study objectives were to investigate the heat resistance using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and hair follicles in beef and dairy calves based on heat shock protein (HSP) 70 genetic polymorphisms. The hair follicle samples from sixty calves (6 months old; 30 Korean native beef calves and 30 Holstein dairy calves) were collected for DNA extraction. The HSP70 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was genotyped using a 5′-exonuclease activity (TaqMan) assay. In Study 1, PBMCs were isolated from 20 calves categorized by their HSP70 genotypes during a thermoneutral period: 10 Korean native beef calves (B-CC and B-C/-type) and 10 Holstein dairy calves (D-CC, D-C/-type). The PBMCs were then exposed to heat stress at 37 °C (control, CON) and 42 °C (heat stress, HS) for 3 h. Following this, the cells were returned to the 37 °C incubator at 0, 1, 3, 6, and 12 h for further recovery analysis. In Study 2, hair follicles were collected from 20 calves (six times every 30 days; threshold, mild, and moderate stress levels) and HSP70 gene expression was measured. Data were analyzed via two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey’s honestly significant difference (HSD) test. The cell proliferation in the D-C/-group was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than in the D-CC and B-C/-groups at 0 and 1 h after HS for 3 h. The mRNA gene expression of HSP70 was greater (p < 0.01) in all HS groups compared to the CON groups after heat exposure. The expression of the HSP70 gene in the D-C/-group was significantly higher (p < 0.05) compared to the B-CC and B-C/-groups immediately (0 h) following 3 h of HS. The expression in the D-CC group also higher (p < 0.05) than in the B-C/-group. The gene expression of HSP70 in hair follicles increased more at the moderate HS level than that at the threshold level. In addition, overexpression of HSP70 was noted (p < 0.05) in the D-CC and D-C/-groups compared to the B-CC and B-C/-groups. In conclusion, our results indicate that breeds and HSP70 genetic polymorphisms exhibit a distinctive pattern of immune cell proliferation and HSP70 expression profiles. Additionally, the HSP70 gene expression in hair follicles may serve as an indicator of heat resistance across different breeds, making it a potential novel barometer for HS. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Research for Improving Livestock Heat Stress Resistance)
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Review

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27 pages, 381 KiB  
Review
Potential Genetic Markers Associated with Environmental Adaptability in Herbivorous Livestock
by Xiaotong Liu, Yongdong Peng, Xinhao Zhang, Wenting Chen, Yinghui Chen, Lin Wei, Qifei Zhu, Muhammad Zahoor Khan and Changfa Wang
Animals 2025, 15(5), 748; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15050748 - 5 Mar 2025
Viewed by 716
Abstract
Herbivorous livestock, such as cattle, sheep, goats, horses, and donkeys, play a crucial role in agricultural production and possess remarkable resilience to extreme environmental conditions, driven by complex genetic mechanisms. Recent advancements in high-throughput sequencing, genome assembly, and environmental data integration have enabled [...] Read more.
Herbivorous livestock, such as cattle, sheep, goats, horses, and donkeys, play a crucial role in agricultural production and possess remarkable resilience to extreme environmental conditions, driven by complex genetic mechanisms. Recent advancements in high-throughput sequencing, genome assembly, and environmental data integration have enabled a deeper understanding of the genetic basis of their environmental adaptation. This review identifies key genes associated with high-altitude, heat, cold, and drought adaptation, providing insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying these traits. By elucidating these genetic adaptations, our study aims to support conservation efforts, inform selective breeding programs, and enhance agricultural productivity, ultimately contributing to sustainable livestock farming and economic benefits for farmers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Research for Improving Livestock Heat Stress Resistance)
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