Lifecycle assessment (LCA) quantified changes in environmental impact categories (global warming, eutrophication, etc.) from 2021 to 2030 due to genetic trends in (re)production traits in pig lines of the breeding company Genus-PIC. The 2030 levels were projected with selection index theory based on weightings of traits in the breeding goals and genetic covariances among them. The projected improvement was 0.9% annually for most impact categories. Another LCA compared the impacts of 2021 North American pig production based on PIC genetics versus the industry average. Software openLCA converted material and energy flows to impact categories of frameworks ReCiPe-2016, PEF-3.1, and IPCC-2021. Flows came from data recorded by customers (1.1/4.7 million sows/finishing pigs) and by subscribers to a third-party data aggregator (1.3/9.1 million). PIC genetics have a 7-8% better impact than industry average for 13/18 categories of ReCiPe-2016, 19/25 of PEF-3.1, and all categories of IPCC-2001. Pig breeding delivers positive environmental outcomes as correlated responses to selection for profitability-oriented breeding goals. This trend is additive; technology development will increase it. Different investment levels in breeding population structure and technology and different operational efficiencies of breeding companies cause substantial differences in the environmental impact of pig production.

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) play an important role in all living organisms under stress conditions by acting as molecular chaperones. The expression of different HSPs during stress varies depending on their protective functions and anti-apoptotic activities. The application of HSPs improves the efficiency and decreases the economic cost of animal breeding. By upregulating the expression of HSPs, feed supplements can improve stress tolerance in farm animals. In addition, high expression of HSPs is often a feature of tumor cells, and inhibiting the expression of HSPs is a promising novel method for killing these cells and treating cancers. In the present review, the findings of previous research on the application of HSPs in animal breeding and veterinary medicine are summarized, and the knowledge of the actions of HSPs in animals is briefly discussed.

暂无摘要。

暂无摘要。

One of the limitations of implementing animal breeding programs in small-scale or extensive production systems is the lack of production records and genealogical records. In this context, molecular markers could help to gain information for the breeding program. This study addresses the inclusion of molecular data into traditional genetic evaluation models as a random effect by molecular pedigree reconstruction and as a fixed effect by Bayesian clustering. The methods were tested for lactation curve traits in 14 dairy goat herds with incomplete phenotypic data and pedigree information. The results showed an increment of 37.3% of the relationships regarding the originals with MOLCOAN and clustering into five genetic groups. Data leads to estimating additive variance, error variance, and heritability with four different models, including pedigree and molecular information. Deviance Information Criterion (DIC) values demonstrate a greater fitting of the models that include molecular information either as fixed (genetic clusters) or as random (molecular matrix) effects. The molecular information of simple markers can complement genetic improvement strategies in populations with little information.

Genomic studies in animal breeding have provided a wide range of references; however, it is important to note that genes and mRNA alone do not fully capture the complexity of living organisms. Protein post-translational modification, which involves covalent modifications regulated by genetic and environmental factors, serves as a fundamental epigenetic mechanism that modulates protein structure, activity, and function. In this review, we comprehensively summarize various phosphorylation and acylation modifications on metabolic enzymes relevant to energy metabolism in animals, including acetylation, succinylation, crotonylation, β-hydroxybutylation, acetoacetylation, and lactylation. It is worth noting that research on animal energy metabolism and modification regulation lags behind the demands for growth and development in animal breeding compared to human studies. Therefore, this review provides a novel research perspective by exploring unreported types of modifications in livestock based on relevant findings from human or animal models.

It has been well-established that the number of vertebrae is associated with body size and meat productivity. In current study we utilized a digital radiography (DR) technology to detect the number of thoracolumbar vertebrae in live donkeys. For this purpose, we introduced for the first time a groundbreaking device designed by our team for assessing thoracolumbar vertebrae number traits in equids, employing a sample of 1,000 donkeys sourced from five distinct donkey farms. This assessment incorporates a range of crucial body metrics, including body height, length, and various other measurements. Subsequently, our study determined the number of thoracolumbar vertebrae in 112 donkeys, utilizing the DR system. These findings were further validated through post-mortem evaluations conducted by slaughtering the donkeys. Our findings demonstrated a remarkable resemblance between the thoracolumbar vertebrae numbers visualized through the DR system in live donkeys and those obtained via slaughter verification. In conclusion, this research underscores the accuracy and effectiveness of the DR system for the detection of thoracolumbar vertebrae in live donkeys, which might be helpful for assessing the body size and meat productivity. We also recommended the utilization of DR system for counting thoracolumbar vertebrae in other animals in live state and could be a useful addition to livestock business industry for the prediction of body size and meat productivity efficiency.

Fucoidan, a water-soluble heteropolysaccharide predominantly found in brown algae, comprises active components such as fucose and sulfate groups. This polysaccharide exhibits a range of physiological activities, including antioxidant, antiviral, anticancer, and immunomodulatory activities. In light of the global prohibition of antibiotics in animal feed, there is increasing interest in identifying safe, natural antibiotic alternatives that lack toxic side effects. This study focuses on analysing the impact of fucoidan in animal husbandry and provides a comprehensive review of the methods for preparing fucoidan, along with its physical and chemical characteristics. Its applications in the breeding of aquatic species, livestock, and poultry have also been summarized. The aim of this study was to establish a theoretical framework for the use of fucoidan in animal husbandry and to contribute to the theoretical underpinnings of the animal breeding and feed industries.

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of incorporating genomic data using the single-step genomic best linear unbiased prediction (ssGBLUP) method compared to the best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) method on the reliability of breeding values for age at first calving, calving interval, and productive longevity at 78 months in Charolais cattle. The study included 48,590 purebred Charolais individuals classified into four subgroups based on genotyping and performance records. The results showed that considering genotypes significantly improved genomic estimated breeding values (GEBV) reliability across all categories except nongenotyped individuals. For young genotyped individuals, the increase in reliability was up to 27% for both sexes. The highest average reliability was achieved for genotyped proven bulls and cows with performance records, and the inclusion of genomic data further improved the reliability by up to 22% and 21% for cows and bulls, respectively. The gain in reliability was observed mainly during the first three calvings, and then the differences decreased. The imported individuals showed lower estimated breeding values (EBV) and GEBV reliabilities than the domestic population, probably due to the weak genetic connection with the domestic population. However, when the progeny of imported heifers were sired by domestic bulls, the reliability increased by up to 24%. For nongenotyped individuals, only a slight increase in reliability was observed; however, the number of genotyped individuals in the population was still relatively small.

The long 19th century was a period of many developments and technical innovations in agriculture and animal biology, during which actors sought to incorporate new practices in light of new information. By the middle of the century, however, while heredity steadily became the dominant concept in animal husbandry, some policies related to livestock improvement in Brazil seemed to have been tailored following a climate-deterministic concept established in the mid-18th century by the French naturalist Georges-Louis Leclerc, the Comte de Buffon. His theory of animal degeneration posited, among other things, the necessity of recurrent crossbreeding to preserve animal species living in nonnative environments from climate-induced degeneration. Although largely discredited by the early 19th century, the teachings of the French naturalist seem to have found supporters in a Brazilian program to modernize national agriculture through the application of the natural sciences. Herein I examine the revival of Buffon\'s theories in that government-sponsored program to improve animal husbandry and breeding techniques, including actual applications of this theory in the real world. Ultimately, I argue that Buffon\'s theory of degeneration was used to tailor public policies and funding for the improvement of domesticated animals in Brazil between 1856 and 1860.