Journal of animal science最新文献

{"title":"HSF1 and CPSF1 affect milk fat and protein synthesis by regulating the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway","authors":"Zhujun Chen, Xinyi Zhang, Jun Teng, Li Jiang, Qin Zhang","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf009","url":null,"abstract":"In our previous genome-wide association study on milk production traits in Chinese Holstein cows, HSF1 (heat shock factor 1) and CPSF1 (cleavage and polyadenylation specific factor 1) were found to be strongly associated with milk fat and protein percentages. However, their roles in milk fat and protein synthesis and the underlying mechanism are still largely unknown. In this study, we verified the effects of their expressions on milk fat and milk protein synthesis in MAC-T cells. We showed that HSF1 can participate in the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, one of the most important pathways for fat and protein synthesis, through its interaction with the AKT protein, and influence the downstream genes in this pathway to regulate milk fat and milk protein synthesis. We also found that HSF1, as a transcription factor, can bind to the promoter region of CPSF1 to regulate its transcription and expression, which in turn modulates the expression of SREBP1 and thereby influences the synthesis of milk fat.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"29 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143385795","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predicting dry matter intake in cattle at scale using gradient boosting regression techniques and Gaussian process boosting regression with SHAP explainable AI, MLflow and its containerization","authors":"K E ArunKumar, Nathan E Blake, Matthew Walker, Tylor J Yost, Domingo Mata-Padrino, Ida Holásková, Jarred W Yates, Joseph Hatton, Matthew E Wilson","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf041","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf041","url":null,"abstract":"Dry matter intake (DMI) is a measure critical to managing and evaluating livestock. Methods exist for quantifying individual DMI in dry lot settings that employ expensive intake systems. No methods exist to accurately measure individual DMI of grazing cattle. Accurate prediction of DMI using machine learning (ML) promotes improved production and management efficiency. It also opens the door to empowering producers to validate and verify intakes in order to participate in incentive programs for delivering ecosystem service credits. We explored gradient boosting-based approaches to predict DMI in beef cattle using actual animal intake and climate dataset of 12,056 daily records from 178 cattle fed at West Virginia University from 2019 to 2020. The tested and developed methods include gradient boosting regression (GBR), Light boosting regression (LGB), extreme gradient boosting regression (XGB), and Gaussian process boosting (GPBoost) models and two baseline models: 1. Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle (NASEM 2016) Equation & 2. Mixed Linear Model Regression (MLM). The GPBoost models were developed considering the random effects associated with animal ID and date. Moreover, we developed an end-to-end MLoperations (MLOps) pipeline to streamline the ML steps using crucial components, such as MLflow and Dockerization. The best performing model was determined by comparing the common evaluation metrics such as root mean squared error (RMSE), mean squared error (MSE), mean absolute error (MAE) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). The RMSE values on the test data of the optimized models ranged from 1.18 kg to 1.54 kg. The focus was developing a generalized algorithm that models covariates associated with animal ID and date that would generalize well on unseen data. The GPBoost models exhibited the best bias and variance compared to the other models (MLM, GBR, LGB, XGB). The R2 of the GPBoost on the training and test datasets were 0.58 and 0.55 respectively. The GPBoost model generalized well on the test dataset and train dataset with MAE values of 0.92 kg and 0.90 kg respectively We implemented an end-to-end MLOps pipeline with MLflow and Docker, enabling experiment tracking, model registry, reproducibility and scalability (to deploy on multiple computers) and seamless deployment. This approach offers a reliable and scalable solution for accurate DMI prediction, enhancing livestock management and facilitating participation in ecosystem service credits.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143401207","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genetic Evaluation of Longevity in Australian Angus cattle Using Random Regression Models","authors":"Hassan Aliloo, Julius H J van der Werf, Samuel A Clark","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf035","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf035","url":null,"abstract":"Cow longevity is an economically important trait for beef breeders directly impacting profitability and sustainability of beef cattle production systems. Despite its great importance, early selection for longevity is complex because the true longevity of a cow is not known until the end of her life. In this study we aimed to estimate variance components and genetic parameters for two binary measures of cow longevity in Australian Angus cattle population. Traditional longevity (TL) represented the cow’s ability to avoid culling after the first calving while functional longevity (FL) also accounted for calving events while the cow was present in the herd. Five datasets consisting of animals culled because of different reasons were created and evaluated separately to compare the estimates of variance components and genetic parameters. We also investigated the impact of censored data on estimated breeding values of bulls with different proportions of active daughters. A single-trait random regression model using a Bayesian Gibbs sampler was applied to both longevity traits and all 5 culling reason groups between age 2 to 11 yr. The heritabilites were generally low and ranged between 0.02 to 0.19 for TL and between 0.02 to 0.20 for FL traits. The peak of heritabilites were found between ages 4 to 6 yr for both longevity measures. The low estimates of genetic correlations between ages at the beginning and end of the trajectory in all culling reason groups indicated that longevity evaluated at early and late stages of life are not genetically the same traits. The estimated breeding values of sires with active daughters were underestimated when the censored data was excluded from the analysis. The negative impact of censoring was larger for younger sires who had larger proportion of active daughters. Our results indicate the additive genetic component has a sizeable contribution to the variability of longevity in Australian Angus cattle and therefore, the genetic improvement of longevity can be achieved if longevity is considered as a long-term breeding objective.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143371519","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of Luteolin on cadmium-inhibited bone growth via suppressing osteoclastogenesis in laying chickens","authors":"Xishuai Tong, Xiaohui Fu, Anqing Gong, Gengsheng Yu, Naineng Chen, Bing Chen, Jianhong Gu, Zongping Liu","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf033","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf033","url":null,"abstract":"Luteolin (Lut) is a flavonoid derived from several plant sources. Cadmium (Cd) is a widespread environmental contaminant and potential toxin with detrimental effects on animal health. However, the effect of Lut on Cd-induced inhibition of bone growth in laying chickens remains unclear. This study investigates the effects of Lut on Cd-induced inhibition of bone growth in the femur and tibia of laying chickens. A total of sixty 1-day-old green-eggshell yellow feather laying chickens were randomly assigned to four groups after a 5-day of acclimation period: basal diet (Con), cadmium chloride (CdCl2, Cd), Lut, and Lut + Cd. Bone microstructure, serum biomarkers of bone remodeling, the levels of Cd, calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), and trace metal elements were assessed using the micro-computed tomography (Micro-CT), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and microwave digestion, respectively. Bone remodeling biomarkers, late endosomal/lysosomal adaptor and MAPK and mTOR activator 1 (LAMTOR1), as well as the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase α (AMPKα) and protein kinase B (Akt), were quantified using the qRT-PCR and western blot. The results indicated that Lut effectively mitigated Cd-induced bone mass loss compared to the Cd group, resulting in increased bone volume (BV), bone surface/bone volume (BS/BV), connectivity density (Conn.Dn), and the length and weight of the femur and tibia in laying chickens. Mechanistically, compared to Cd group, Lut restored the ratio of osteoprotegerin (OPG)/receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) in serum and bone tissue, enhanced the expression of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), osteocalcin (OCN), and Osterix (OSX), while reducing the levels of Ca, Cd, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, as well as the expression of osteopontin (OPN), c-Fos, osteoclast stimulatory-transmembrane protein (OC-STAMP), tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), cathepsin K (CTSK), matrix metalloprotein-9 (MMP-9), LAMTOR1, and the phosphorylation of AMPKα and Akt. Therefore, Lut alleviates Cd-induced damage to the femur and tibia of chickens by promoting osteogenesis and inhibiting osteoclastogenesis, positioning Lut as a potential therapeutic plant extract for enhancing bone growth in laying chickens.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143371540","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Inbreeding depression for litter size in two mice lines under divergent selection for environmental birth weight variability using genomic data","authors":"Candela Ojeda-Marín, Isabel Cervantes, Nora Formoso-Rafferty, Juan Pablo Gutiérrez, Silvia Teresa Rodríguez-Ramilo","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf023","url":null,"abstract":"Inbreeding depression (ID) is usually observed as reduced survival and fertility and may have a variable impact in different populations. The aim of this study was to estimate ID from genomic and pedigree data in the litter size (LS) of the high variability line (H-Line) and the low variability line (L-Line). Of these, the L-Line performed better on traits related to robustness. A total of 1587 females from 26 selection generations were genotyped with a high-density SNP array. LS data of 732 L-Line and 648 of H-Line animals were used. The following were calculated: pedigree inbreeding coefficient (FPED), genomic inbreeding derived from different genomic matrices (FNEJ, FL&H, FVR1, FVR2 and FYAN), from runs of homozygosity (FROH) and from homozygosity by descent probabilities (FHBD). FROH were calculated in the 19 autosomes (CHR). FROH and FHBD were divided into 9 lengths and age classes, respectively. All the inbreeding coefficients were standardized by the mean inbreeding coefficient of the 1st generation. Regression coefficients (b) obtained from genomic data were between -3.71 with FVR2 and -5.09 with FHBD in the H-Line, and that estimated from FPED was -5.67. In the L-Line the b obtained from genomic data were between -3.52 with FVR2 and -4.55 with FHBD, and that obtained with FPED was -4.08. Significant ID effects were detected in CHR13 in the H-Line and CHR1 and CHR9 in the L-Line. The b negative trended to be lower as the ROH length increased. The age of the homozygosity by descent segment performed differently in each line, for example FHBD raised 128 generations ago produced a significant positive effect only in the L-Line. The effect of global inbreeding coefficients on the LS was negative in both lines with a higher impact in the H-Line than in the L-Line, suggesting the L-Line having higher robustness. CHR 1, 9 and 13 were candidates for future gene search. In general, more recent FROH and FHBD presented negative effects on LS while older FROH and FHBD presented positive effects on LS in both selected lines.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143367424","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Acute enhanced liquid aspirin administration improves performance and intestinal function in nursery pigs","authors":"Sarah C Pearce, Brian J Kerr","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf037","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf037","url":null,"abstract":"Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug which has been a widely used analgesic for pain relief as well as an anti-inflammatory medication. However, it also causes negative effects to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract including GI bleeding, peptic ulcers, and can also impact the small intestine. Enhanced liquid aspirin (ELA) contains a combination of a salicylate compound, glycerin, triacetate, and saccharin which is more stable than aspirin alone and may reduce negative effects on the GI tract, while still exerting positive effects on inflammatory processes. The objective of this pilot study was to evaluate oral ELA on healthy weaning pigs. 8 pigs per treatment were gavaged daily for 5 d with either saline controls (CON) or 2 mg/kg body weight ELA. After the 5-d dosing period, pigs were weighed and then euthanized for intestinal sample collection. ELA-administered pigs gained significantly more body weight relative to initial body weights compared to CON pigs (8% vs. 13.7%; P<0.05). Additionally, there was tendency for an increase of 24% in villus height in ELA pigs compared to CON (P = 0.06) and significant increases in relative protein expression of Claudins (CLDN) 3 and 7 (P<0.05). Finally, several genes were altered in ELA-fed pigs compared to CON including stem cell markers and immune markers. All in all, this data showed that ELA was well tolerated in a pig model, showed a preliminary improvement in body weight, and had no observable negative impacts.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"62 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143371551","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of Bacillus subtilis ATCC PTA-122264 on Apparent Total Tract Macronutrient Digestibility and Fecal Characteristics, Metabolites, and Microbiota of Healthy Adult Dogs","authors":"Patrícia M Oba, Olivia R Swanson, Yifei Kang, Julio C Mioto, John F Menton, Elena Vinay, Mathieu Millette, Melissa R Kelly, Kelly S Swanson","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf038","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf038","url":null,"abstract":"Gastrointestinal and stool quality issues are common in companion animals. In addition to dietary fibers and prebiotics, the consumption of live microorganisms may be used to support the gastrointestinal health of pets. Spore-forming Bacillus species are gaining interest due to their viability during processing, storage, and within the gastrointestinal tract. The objective of the current study was to determine the effects of B. subtilis ATCC PTA-122264 supplementation on dietary apparent total tract macronutrient digestibility and the fecal characteristics, metabolites, and microbiota of healthy adult dogs. Twelve healthy adult beagle dogs (6 ± 1.14 yr; 8.71 ± 0.91 kg body weight) were used in a replicated 3x3 Latin square design. Dogs were fed to maintain body weight and allotted to one of three treatments each experimental period (n=12/treatment): Control [kibble diet + placebo (1.25 g of maltodextrin)], Low [kibble diet + 1×109 colony-forming units (CFU)/day of B. subtilis], and High (kibble diet + 5×109 CFU/day of B. subtilis). Each experimental period was composed of a 22-day adaptation phase, 5-day fecal collection phase, and one day for blood collection. Fecal microbiota data were evaluated using QIIME2. All other data were analyzed using the Mixed Models procedure of SAS, with P<0.05 being considered significant. B. subtilis supplementation tended to decrease (P<0.10) apparent total tract dry matter, organic matter, and energy digestibilities, but did not influence food or energy intake, fecal output, and apparent total tract protein or fat digestibilities. Most serum metabolites, hematology, fecal characteristics, and fecal bacterial alpha and beta diversity indices were not affected. Fecal dysbiosis index tended to be affected and fecal Streptococcus, Escherichia coli, and Blautia abundances were lower (P<0.05) in dogs allotted to the Low treatment. These data suggest that daily supplementation of up to 5×109 CFU/day of B. subtilis ATCC PTA-122264 is safe and does not affect markers of general health and fecal characteristics of healthy dogs, warranting further exploration.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"41 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143371552","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of dietary supplementation with linseed oil, Ascophyllum nodosum or treated A. nodosum on animal performance, gaseous emissions, ruminal fermentation and microbiota, and meat quality in growing dairy beef bulls","authors":"Emily Roskam, David A Kenny, Alan K Kelly, Maria Hayes, Nikola Palevich, Paul H Maclean, Vincent O’Flaherty, Ambarish Biswas, Sinéad M Waters","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf032","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf032","url":null,"abstract":"Oils high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and seaweeds containing phlorotannins have potential anti-methanogenic effects in ruminants. This study assessed the potential of dietary supplementation with linseed oil, Ascophyllum nodosum or treated A. nodosum in an intensive beef cattle feeding system on animal performance, gaseous emissions, ruminal fermentation and microbiota, and muscle fatty acid profiles. Seventy-two dairy-beef bulls (380 kg; 11 months of age) were randomly allocated to one of four dietary treatments (n = 18) for a 70-d period. The diet consisted of a 60:40 grass silage:concentrate ratio. Silage was offered daily (0900 h) and concentrates were offered twice daily (0800 h and 1500 h). Dietary treatments were incorporated into the concentrate portion of the diet as follows; 1) CON (no supplementation), 2) LSO (linseed oil), 3) SW (A. nodosum) and 4) EX (A. nodosum extract), included to target 0, 4, 2 and 2% of dry matter intake (DMI), respectively. The concentrates were formulated to be isonitrogenous across the four treatment groups. Total DMI (American Calan Inc., Northwood, NH), average daily gain (ADG), gain:feed and enteric emissions (GreenFeed; C-Lock Inc., Rapid City, SD) were measured for the 70-d supplementation period. Total DMI (P = 0.17), ADG (P = 0.28), gain:feed (P = 0.68) and total tract digestibility (P = 0.70) did not differ across treatments. Daily methane production (P < 0.001) for CON, LSO, SW and EX was 210, 170, 202 and 193 g/d, respectively, resulting in reductions of 19 and 8% for LSO and EX, respectively, relative to CON. Ruminal fermentation parameters show that LSO was the only dietary treatment to increase propionate (P = 0.09) and decrease butyrate (P = 0.04) concentrations relative to CON. Microbial analyses showed LSO supplementation increased and decreased relative abundances of fungal genera Buwchfawromyces and Piromyces, respectively, while altering relative abundances of the bacterial genera Muribaculaceae, Bacteroidales RF16 group and Bacterium F082. Additionally, LSO increased linolenic acid (P < 0.001) and n-3 PUFA (P < 0.001) concentration of the longissimus dorsi muscle compared to CON, SW and EX. In conclusion, LSO was the most effective dietary supplementation strategy compared to CON, EX and SW, whereby it reduced methane emissions, modified ruminal fermentation and microbial profiles, and enhanced beneficial muscle PUFA concentration, without impacting animal performance.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143258376","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prolactin and Heat Stress; focus on Domestic Ruminants.","authors":"Iain J Clarke, Frank R Dunshea, Surinder S Chauhan","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf020","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Prolactin has traditionally been associated with milk production, but recent studies identify prolactin as having many other functions. These include a role in pelage growth, sweating, immune function, metabolism and water/electrolyte balance. A signature of HS is a rise in prolactin concentrations so the question arises as to whether this hormone has a particular function in relation to response to or mitigation of HS. Thus, prolactin plays a multifaceted role in the physiological and behavioral responses of livestock to HS, contributing to their ability to cope with warmer temperatures and maintain homeostasis. A major advance in recent years is the identification of the SLICK gene in cattle, being a mutation in the prolactin receptor. It is responsible for a phenotype of short, shiny coat. SLICK confers heat resilience and offers a realistic means of mitigating HS by introgression into cattle without the mutation. The purpose of this article is to ascertain what functions prolactin may have in the response to HS. It appears that prolactin may be involved in many of the physiological processes that are affected by HS, but it is clear that definitive evidence of cause/effect are yet to be discerned.</p>","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143188767","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fecal Microbiota-based Investigations of Nitrogen Utilization Efficiency and related Traits in a Landrace x Piétrain crossbred Population","authors":"Markus Schmid, Valentin P Haas, Naomi Sarpong, Markus Rodehutscord, Jana Seifert, Amélia Camarinha-Silva, Jörn Bennewitz","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf028","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf028","url":null,"abstract":"Improving protein efficiency in pork production is a desired goal regarding resource conservation and climate protection, whereby animal breeding has great potential for sustainable improvements. Nitrogen utilization efficiency (NUE) is an important trait but laborious to measure. As blood urea nitrogen (BUN) can be used to predict NUE, it is often used as indicator trait. Both NUE and BUN were found to be heritable, however, microbial studies have not yet been carried out. The present study aimed to investigate the role of the gastrointestinal microbiota in the context of N efficiency in different fattening phases. The dataset consisted of 450 Landrace x Piétrain pigs fattened in a two-phase feeding regime. All pigs were fecal sampled and phenotyped in two fattening phases, referred to as sampling period (SP) 1 and SP2 in week 13 and week 16 post natum, respectively. Microbial communities in feces were compared across SPs and significant differences were observed. Mixed linear models were applied to quantify the microbial variance and microbiability for NUE, BUN, and related traits within each of the SPs. Except for NUE in SP1, all microbiabilities were significant and ranged from 0.079 to 0.471. Microbiome-wide association studies revealed a polymicrobial trait architecture, characterized by the contribution of many genera, with each genus having a relatively small effect on the traits. In total, four and eleven microbial genera were significantly associated with NUE and BUN, respectively. Microbial correlations were estimated between traits within SPs via bivariate analyses. Blood urea nitrogen was significantly correlated with N intake and retention in SP1 but not in SP2. Fecal microbiota composition differed significantly between SPs and the use of microbiota data across SPs resulted in a remarkable drop in microbiability for nearly all traits. This implies that microbiota data should be representative of the time point of phenotyping to fully capture microbial contribution to trait expression. The results suggest that jointly using genomic and fecal microbial data might be expedient to improve protein efficiency in fattening pigs.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143192315","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}