Small Ruminant Research最新文献

{"title":"Effects of changes in homogenisation sequence and stage for sheep milk on physicochemical and microbiological properties and consumer acceptance of kefir","authors":"Figen Özkul Ateş,&nbsp;Firuze Ergin Zeren,&nbsp;Ahmet Küçükçetin","doi":"10.1016/j.smallrumres.2025.107553","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.smallrumres.2025.107553","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The aim of this work is to contribute to the knowledge of the quality of kefir produced from sheep milk, with a particular focus on the effect of homogenisation conditions such as homogenisation sequence and homogenisation stage. The effect of single-stage (150 bar) or double-stage (150/30 bar) homogenisation, both prior to and after heat treatment at 85°C for 15 min, on the physicochemical and microbiological properties and consumer acceptance of kefir produced from sheep milk was investigated. Kefir produced from homogenised sheep milk was stored at 4°C for 30 days. Visual roughness, number of grains, mean perimeter of grains, apparent viscosity, and consistency coefficient were higher, and flow behaviour index and syneresis were lower in kefir produced from heat-treated and subsequently homogenised milk compared to those in kefir produced from milk homogenised before heat treatment, as well as in kefir produced from double-stage homogenised milk compared to those in kefir produced from single-stage homogenised milk. The homogenisation conditions for milk led to statistical differences in the microbiological counts of kefir, which were not microbiologically significant. The appearance and texture scores of the kefir samples increased when double-stage homogenisation was applied instead of single-stage homogenisation to the milk or when the milk was homogenised after heat treatment instead of before heat treatment. This study demonstrated that changing the homogenisation sequence and homogenisation stage for milk altered the physicochemical properties and consumer acceptance of kefir.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21758,"journal":{"name":"Small Ruminant Research","volume":"250 ","pages":"Article 107553"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144178856","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Molecular detection of benzimidazole resistance in Haemonchus contortus: A comparative analysis of field and abattoir larval isolates from sheep and goats","authors":"Mohamed A. Helal ,&nbsp;Prashant D. Pawar ,&nbsp;Lachhman Das Singla","doi":"10.1016/j.smallrumres.2025.107555","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.smallrumres.2025.107555","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Benzimidazole (BZ) resistance in <em>Haemonchus contortus</em> presents a significant threat to small ruminant production, particularly in developing countries. This study employed molecular techniques to detect BZ resistance in <em>H. contortus</em> larvae isolated from sheep and goats in both field and abattoir settings. Using allele-specific PCR (AS-PCR), we analysed polymorphisms in codon 200 of the β-tubulin isotype 1 gene, complemented by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis for species verification. In goat larval isolates (n = 156), genotypic analysis revealed 58 % homozygous resistant (RR), 12 % homozygous susceptible (SS), and 30 % heterozygous (RS) larvae. Sheep larval isolates (n = 218) showed a different distribution: 29 % RR, 20 % SS, and 51 % RS.The overall frequency of the resistance allele (R)was notably higher in goat samples (73 %) compared to sheep samples (54 %). These findings indicate widespread BZ resistance in both host species, with a particularly concerning prevalence in goat populations. This study demonstrates the utility of molecular techniques for early resistance detection and highlights the need for targeted anthelmintic management strategies in small ruminant production systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21758,"journal":{"name":"Small Ruminant Research","volume":"250 ","pages":"Article 107555"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144166333","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Use of carcass weight for predicting empty body weight in hair sheep in different physiological states","authors":"Ignacio Vázquez-Martínez ,&nbsp;Rosario Salazar-Cuytun ,&nbsp;Jesus Alberto Mezo-Solis ,&nbsp;Darwin Nicolas Arcos-Alvarez ,&nbsp;Antonio de Sousa Brito Neto ,&nbsp;Caio Julio Lima Herbster ,&nbsp;Elzania Sales Pereira ,&nbsp;Alfonso Juventino Chay-Canul","doi":"10.1016/j.smallrumres.2025.107551","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.smallrumres.2025.107551","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The objective of this study was to develop equations to predict empty body weight (EBW) by using fasting body weight (FBW) and hot carcass weight (HCW) for hair sheep in different physiological states. To generate the prediction models, a data set was composed of individual measurements from 278 sheep encompassing suckling males (21 Pelibuey and 15 Katahdin) and females (8 Pelibuey and 12 Katahdin) and growing males (55 Black Belly and 43 Katahdin) and females (56 Black Belly, 13 Dorper, 24 Katahdin, and 21 crossbreed Katahdin × Pelibuey). The coefficients obtained from the linear regression of EBW against FBW and EBW against HCW did not differ between sexes and among breeds (P &gt; 0.05). However, they were influenced by physiological stage (P &lt; 0.001). Four equations were generated for suckling and growing stages: EBW_suckling = -0.15_{(± 0.04)} + 0.91_{(± 0.02)} × FBW (root mean square error (RMSE) = 0.96, R² = 0.99); EBW_growing = -1.50_{(± 0.44)} + 0.91_{(± 0.02)} × FBW (RMSE = 0.96, R² = 0.99); EBW_suckling = 1.84_{(± 0.69)} + 1.46_{(± 0.06)} × HCW (RMSE = 1.94, R² = 0.96); EBW_growing = 5.93_{(± 0.72)} + 1.46_{(± 0.06)} × HCW (RMSE = 1.94, R² = 0.96). The results showed that sex and breed did not influence the linear regression of EBW as a function of FBW and HCW. However, the present study showed that models predicting EBW from FBW and HCW depended on physiological state.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21758,"journal":{"name":"Small Ruminant Research","volume":"250 ","pages":"Article 107551"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144154581","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Feed intake and behavioral responses of sheep provided phenylthiocarbamide internally incorporated into feed pellets","authors":"Claire N. Foyil ,&nbsp;J. Bret Taylor ,&nbsp;Joel V. Yelich ,&nbsp;Melinda J. Ellison","doi":"10.1016/j.smallrumres.2025.107528","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.smallrumres.2025.107528","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The objective of this study was to determine the effects of phenylthiocarbamide (PTC), a bittering agent, delivered in feed on dietary intake and behavior in PTC-naive ram lambs (n = 26) and PTC-experienced mature rams (n = 12) previously classified as either super- (n = 3), intermediate (n = 5), or non-PTC tasters (n = 4). For mature rams, four treatment diets were prepared to include 0 (control), 110, 220, and 330 mg PTC/kg. For ram lambs, three treatment diets were prepared to include 0 (control), 180 and 280 mg PTC/kg. Treatment diets were prepared using a pelleted common ground ration (70 % alfalfa hay, 15 % corn, 15 % dehydrated beet pulp, as-fed). Rams received control and PTC diets (0.87 % BW) daily for 30 min in a side-by-side presentation, which was replicated for each concentration. Feed intake duration, number of bucket approaches and switches, sniffs, drinks, head bobs, jerks, shakes, lip smacks and licks were recorded using video surveillance. Consumption of PTC and control diets were similar for all rams (<em>P</em> ≥ 0.22) when measured as a percentage of total diet (control + PTC) consumed. While mature rams began to exhibit signs of PTC aversion at 220 mg/kg (CV = 34.1 %; <em>P</em> = 0.16), ram lambs were indifferent (<em>P</em> = 0.61) to concentrations up to 280 mg/kg (CV = 13.9 %). For the mature rams, total intake of feed decreased (<em>P</em> = 0.01) from 80.9 ± 3.2 % to 72.3 ± 3.2 %, with respect to increasing concentrations of PTC. Total feed intake duration was less (<em>P</em> ≤ 0.01) when mature rams were offered 330 mg/kg (805.6 ± 440 s) compared with 110 (858.9 ± 44.3 s) and 220 mg/kg (862.9 ± 44.0 s). Although ram lambs consumed total test feed to near entirety, ram lambs took longer (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01) to consume 280 mg/kg PTC (438.4 ± 26.5 s) compared to control (332.2 ± 27.4 s) pellets. Head bobbing and lip smacking observations increased after mature rams (solution type <span><math><mo>×</mo></math></span> replication, <em>P</em> ≤ 0.01) and ram lambs (solution type, <em>P</em> ≤ 0.01) consumed PTC pellets. The rejection threshold appears to be different for mature rams versus lambs. These results suggest that sheep perceive PTC concentrations between 180 and 280 mg/kg when PTC is incorporated into feed pellets. More research is needed to understand the influence of PTC tasting ability on dietary selection in sheep.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21758,"journal":{"name":"Small Ruminant Research","volume":"250 ","pages":"Article 107528"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144134581","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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 polymorphisms in Agouti signaling protein (ASIP) and melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) genes and their association with coat color in native Bulgarian sheep breeds.","authors":"Doytcho Dimov ,&nbsp;Milena Kostova ,&nbsp;Atanas Vuchkov ,&nbsp;Ivona Dimitrova ,&nbsp;Georgi Kalaydzhiev ,&nbsp;Genoveva Staykova ,&nbsp;Margarit Iliev ,&nbsp;Milena Bozhilova","doi":"10.1016/j.smallrumres.2025.107517","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.smallrumres.2025.107517","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sheep coat color is an important visual trait for breed differentiation and characterization. In some native sheep breeds, coat color is a patterned phenotype that is the basis of selection. The diversity of coat color provides an important model phenotype for exploring gene roles and studying gene mutations. The present study investigates the genetic polymorphisms in the Agouti signaling protein (<em>ASIP</em>) and melanocortin 1 receptor (<em>MC1R</em>) genes and their association with coat colour in native Bulgarian sheep breeds. A total of 247 individuals belonging to 7 native sheep breeds from 38 herds were genotyped for the <em>ASIP</em> and <em>MC1R</em> genes. Five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected in the <em>MC1R</em> gene, and three haplotypes were identified in the studied sheep breeds. The <em>MC1R</em> dominant allele (<em>E</em>^<em>D</em>) allele could be the sole cause of fully pigmented sheep (either black or brown coat colour) in the Native Karnobatska population. However, in the population of Karakachanska and Cupper-red Shumenska breeds, the cause of pigmentation can be both <em>E</em>^<em>D</em> and recessive non-agouti (<em>A</em>^<em>a</em>) alleles. In the samples of the Patch-faced Maritza and Dubenska breeds, the <em>E</em>^<em>D</em> allele of the <em>MC1R</em> gene is absent, and therefore the fully pigmented and \"patch-faced\" phenotypes are due to the recessive <em>A</em>^<em>a</em> allele. Genetic mechanisms for white phenotypes exist to some extent in the White Maritza, Native Starazagorska and Dubenska breeds. However, the white phenotype in these breeds cannot be explained by a double copy of the <em>ASIP</em> allele alone. The results of this study provide new insights into the genetic causes of coat colour variation in populations of seven native Bulgarian sheep breeds. Further research is needed to elucidate the complex genetic mechanism of coat colour in native Bulgarian sheep breeds, particularly the role of the <em>Agouti</em> gene in coat colour expression. Therefore, the results of this study can be considered as a starting point for improving the management and conservation of genetic diversity of coat colour varieties in breeding programmes for native Bulgarian sheep breeds.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21758,"journal":{"name":"Small Ruminant Research","volume":"249 ","pages":"Article 107517"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143947592","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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 diversity of native Bulgarian sheep breeds based on the mitochondrial D-loop sequence analysis","authors":"Georgi Radoslavov ,&nbsp;Georgi Kalaydzhiev ,&nbsp;Georgi Yordanov ,&nbsp;Nadezhda Palova ,&nbsp;Delka Salkova ,&nbsp;Peter Hristov","doi":"10.1016/j.smallrumres.2025.107527","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.smallrumres.2025.107527","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The geographical, geomorphological, and climatic characteristics of Bulgaria are particularly favorable for animal breeding and, above all, for pastoral farming and sheep breeding. These conditions created prerequisites for the creation of about 30 unique local breeds of sheep. In this study we investigated the genetic diversity of eight of the most popular Bulgarian native breeds, based on the sequence analysis of a part of the mitochondrial D-loop region. An almost entire mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop region (1180 bp) was amplified and sequenced. The obtained results showed the presence of a large number of haplotypes – 192, belonging to three main haplogroups. The majority of samples showed a high prevalence of the European haplogroup B (89.6 %), followed by haplogroup A (8.6 %) and C (1.8 %). None of the other reported mitochondrial haplogroups were observed. The number of different haplotypes, nucleotide and haplotype diversity was high (192, 0.01286, and 0.996, respectively), which is evidence for multiple maternal origins in all populations. The Tajima D-test value in all the study populations was −1.774 (p &lt; 0.05), indicating that the abundance of rare alleles was most likely due to population expansion after a recent bottleneck. The high level of mtDNA polymorphism in the studied breeds of local sheep indicates the presence of a significant reserve of unique genotypes in Bulgaria, which is to be explored.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21758,"journal":{"name":"Small Ruminant Research","volume":"249 ","pages":"Article 107527"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143946742","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparison of selection signatures among five meat sheep breeds","authors":"Masoud Alipanah ,&nbsp;Faezeh Gharari ,&nbsp;Seyed Mostafa Mazloom","doi":"10.1016/j.smallrumres.2025.107524","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.smallrumres.2025.107524","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Selection over the years has led to changes in the animal and plant genomes. Haplotypic blocks throughout the sheep genome are continuously under natural and artificial selection and may contain favorable mutations that cause genome-wide signatures. The present study aimed to compare selection signatures among five meat sheep breeds that were included Charmoise, Mouton Charollais, Lacaune meat, Suffolk, and Texel. selection signatures were identified using the XP-EHH and iHS. Genomic regions under selection in each breed, relative to others, were detected based on XP-EHH scores between each breed and the others, as well as iHS scores within each breed, with thresholds set at the top 0.99. The results of this study showed that the comparison of selection signatures among sheep breeds revealed specific genes under selection in each breed. In Charmoise sheep, the genes HOXD3, MAP3K20, RAPGEF4, SP3, LPGAT1, DNAH8, KIF6, and ABCD3 were identified in selected regions. In Mouton Charollais, the genes DGKB, ADGRB3, and PITPNC1 were detected. In Lacaune meat sheep, the genes ANO4, GRID2, and DBF4B were found. In Suffolk sheep, the genes PTK2B, FNIP1, EYA4, UBASH3B, and SPPL2B were identified. Gene ontology analysis indicated that these genes were associated with cellular pathways. In addition, the results of the QTL report showed that selection in Charmoise sheep primarily targeted carcass traits compared to other breeds. In Mouton Charolais, selection was more focused on body weight, muscle development, and bone density. In Lacaune meat sheep, selection was primarily associated with daily weight gain, body weight, carcass traits, and bone density. In Suffolk sheep, selection targeted carcass weight and muscle density. Finally, in Texel sheep, selection was focused on carcass weight, bone traits, daily weight gain, and bone density. These findings suggest that, despite all breeding programs were focused on meat production in breeds, the direction and type of traits under selection varied among them. Additionally, even for shared traits, the specific selected genomic regions differed across breeds.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21758,"journal":{"name":"Small Ruminant Research","volume":"249 ","pages":"Article 107524"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143936981","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genome wide copy number diversity in Indian goat breeds scaled to world-wide breeds","authors":"Nidhi Sukhija ,&nbsp;Indrajit Ganguly ,&nbsp;K.K. Kanaka ,&nbsp;S.P. Dixit ,&nbsp;Sanjeev Singh ,&nbsp;Avnish Bhatia ,&nbsp;Rangasai Chandra Goli ,&nbsp;Pallavi Rathi","doi":"10.1016/j.smallrumres.2025.107525","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.smallrumres.2025.107525","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Copy number variations (CNVs), heritable chromosomal structural changes characterized by deletions or insertions exceeding 50 base pairs, is an emerging area in genetic diversity research due to their significant roles in morphological, metabolic, and adaptive traits. Despite the global exploration of CNVs across various species, limited attention has been given to goats, particularly Indian breeds. This study utilized whole-genome resequencing (WGRS) data from Indian goat breeds in comparison to transboundary and global breeds/populations, including wild relatives, to investigate copy number variation regions (CNVRs) as markers of genetic diversity and population structure. A total of 103 sequences from indigenous breeds and nine publicly available trans-boundary sequences representing Black Bengal and Beetal goats were analyzed as Dataset-I, while Dataset-II comprised 262 whole genome sequences from global breeds and wild relatives. CNVRs were identified using CNVcaller, leveraging normalized read depth across sliding windows, resulting in 63,728 CNVRs in Dataset-I and 48,869 CNVRs in Dataset-II. These numbers surpass previous reports, attributed to refined resolution, larger sample sizes, and advanced detection algorithms. Principal component analysis (PCA) and admixture analyses leveraged by <em>CVerror</em> (<span><span>https://github.com/chau-mau/CVerror</span><svg><path></path></svg></span>) revealed clustering patterns, demonstrating genetic uniqueness among Indian breeds while highlighting admixture with transboundary populations. Phylogenetic analysis using custom pipeline named <em>Plink2Phylo</em> (<span><span>https://github.com/kkokay07/pq-genetics/tree/main/Plink2Phylo</span><svg><path></path></svg></span>; Kanaka 2025), identified distinct evolutionary nodes, with Uttarakhand Hill and Black Bengal showing unique clustering patterns, affirming rich genetic diversity. This research provides a comprehensive framework for understanding CNVR-based genetic diversity in Indian goats, positioning them within the global genetic landscape.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21758,"journal":{"name":"Small Ruminant Research","volume":"249 ","pages":"Article 107525"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144067913","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identification of prevalent tick species in the goat population of West Bengal state of India","authors":"M. Rafiqul Amin ,&nbsp;Sourabh Sulabh","doi":"10.1016/j.smallrumres.2025.107526","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.smallrumres.2025.107526","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ticks are major ectoparasites of domestic animals, including small ruminants, and are responsible for the transmission of several tick-borne diseases. They can also damage hides, induce anemia, and cause tick paralysis. A study was conducted to investigate and identify ticks infesting goats from five districts in West Bengal, India. Ticks were collected from the bodies of goats in five districts of West Bengal. The two tick species that were collected were first identified based on morphological analysis as <em>Haemaphysalis bispinosa</em> and <em>Hyalomma kumari</em>. The mitochondrial 16S rRNA sequences of the ticks were also amplified using gene-specific primers. The lengths of the amplified 16S rRNA sequences of <em>H. bispinosa</em> and <em>H. kumari</em> ticks were 456 bp and 457 bp, respectively. The amplified fragments were sequenced and aligned with other sequences using NCBI BLAST. This further confirmed the results of the morphological analysis, as the two sequences were perfectly aligned with <em>the H. bispinosa</em> and <em>H. kumari</em> gene sequences. Phylogenetic analysis of gene sequences was performed using sequences similar to those found in the NCBI database. A regression model to determine the effects of age, sex, and season on the prevalence of tick infestation in goats was also tested on the collected data using Jamovi 2.5.3. Only two tick species, <em>Haemaphysalis bispinosa</em> and <em>Hyalomma kumari,</em> were found on the ears of goats, and infestation was significantly affected by variations in age and season.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21758,"journal":{"name":"Small Ruminant Research","volume":"249 ","pages":"Article 107526"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143936984","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Discovery of novel insertion SNPs in the ADRB2 gene associated with sheep growth performance","authors":"Zaid M. Jassim ,&nbsp;Thamer R.S. Aljubouri ,&nbsp;Mohammed Baqur S. Al-Shuhaib","doi":"10.1016/j.smallrumres.2025.107523","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.smallrumres.2025.107523","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The beta-adrenergic receptor-2 (ADRB2) is a crucial gene known to directly influence growth and metabolic traits; however, this association has not yet been investigated in sheep. The potential association between ADRB2 and growth traits in two commercially important sheep breeds with differing growth characteristics, the Iraqi Awassi and Iranian Karakul was investigated to evaluate the biomarker potential of ADRB2. A total of 172 lambs (88 Awassi and 84 Karakul) were included in the study. In both breeds, various growth traits were correlated with ADRB2 gene variations at three-month intervals from birth to one year of age. All samples were genotyped by amplifying up to 91 % of the coding regions within the ADRB2 gene, followed by Sanger sequencing. Out of twenty-seven SNPs identified in the <em>ADRB2</em> gene, fourteen novel insertion SNPs were detected constituting 51.9 % of the total polymorphism. Whereas nine (33.3 %) silent SNPs and four (14.8 %) missense SNPs were respectively identified. Three of the identified insertions (105–106insT, 1024–1025insA, and 1065–1066insA) demonstrated various intensities of associations with the growth traits measured. While 105–106insT and 1024–1025insA showed consistent significant effects on most growth traits, the 1065–1066insA SNP’s influence was confined to a few key metrics. The linkage disequilibrium plot data showed little to no co-inheritance between these SNPs with their neighbors, as the three insertion SNPs demonstrated a relatively independent transmission tendency across generations. The variable levels of significant associations observed between the three SNPs and growth traits are primarily attributed to a translation frameshift, suggesting that these novel insertions could serve as valuable markers for evaluating growth traits in both breeds.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21758,"journal":{"name":"Small Ruminant Research","volume":"249 ","pages":"Article 107523"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143936983","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}