Incorporating body measurement traits to increase genetic gain of feed efficiency and carcass traits in Japanese Black steers.

The objective of the present study was to comprehensively evaluate whether body measurement traits, including BW and body size, could be used as indicators of genetic selection for feed efficiency and carcass traits in Japanese Black steers. First, we estimated the genetic parameters for body measurements, feed efficiency, and carcass traits. Second, we estimated the correlated responses in feed efficiency and carcass traits when selection was applied to one or multiple body measurement traits. In total, 4,578 Japanese Black steers with phenotypic values of residual feed intake (RFI) and residual BW gain (RG) as feed efficiency traits and carcass weight (CWT) and beef marbling standard (BMS) as carcass traits were used. Eleven body measurement traits were measured at the start and finish of the fattening periods (BMT1 and BMT2, respectively), and their growth during the fattening period (BMT3) was used for genetic analyses. The results of genetic parameters showed that the heritability estimates were low to moderate (0.10-0.66), and the genetic correlations among body measurement traits were also estimated to be positively moderate to high in each measuring point (0.23-0.99). The genetic correlations of body measurement traits with RFI and BMS were estimated to be low (-0.14-0.30 and -0.17-0.35, respectively), but those with CWT were positively low to high (0.12-0.97). The genetic correlation estimates between BMT3 and RG were moderate to high (0.38-0.78). Second, correlated responses were estimated under positive selection for body measurement traits. Positive selection for BMT2 and BMT3 increased CWT and RG; however, positive selection for body measurement traits resulted in no change in RFI and BMS. Favorable directions of genetic gains, which were positive for RG, CWT, and BMS and negative for RFI, were obtained by selection indices, including multiple traits in BMT1. Our results suggest that using only one body measurement trait as an indicator of genetic selection for RFI is difficult. However, body measurement traits can be indirect indicators of improved RG. Our results also suggest that genetic improvement of both RFI and RG without reducing CWT and BMS could be achieved using selection indices that account for a balance of body conformation using multiple body measurement traits in Japanese Black cattle.

Effect of residual methane emission on physiological characteristics and carcass performance in Japanese Black cattle.

This study investigated the physiological characteristics and carcass performance associated with residual methane emissions (RME), and the effects of bull differences on CH4-related traits in Japanese Black cattle. Enteric methane (CH4) emissions from 156 Japanese Black cattle (111 heifers and 45 steers) were measured during early fattening using the sniffer method. Various physiological parameters were investigated to clarify the physiological traits between the high, middle, and low RME groups. CH4-related traits were examined to determine whether bull differences affected progeny CH4 emissions. Ruminal butyrate and NH3 concentrations were significantly higher in the high-RME group than in the low-RME group, whereas the propionate content was significantly higher in the low-RME group. Blood urea nitrogen, ß-hydroxybutyric acid, and insulin concentrations were significantly higher, and blood amino acids were lower in the high-RME group than in the other groups. No significant differences were observed in the carcass traits and beef fat composition between RME groups. CH4-related traits were significantly different among bull herds. Our results show that CH4-related traits are heritable, wherein bull differences affect progeny CH4 production capability, and that the above-mentioned rumen fermentations and blood metabolites could be used to evaluate enteric methanogenesis in Japanese Black cattle.

Assessing the impact of three feeding stages on rumen bacterial community and physiological characteristics of Japanese Black cattle.

In Japan, Japanese Black cattle, known for their exceptional meat quality owing to their abundant intramuscular fat, undergo a unique three-stage feeding system with varying concentrate ratios. There is limited research on physiological and rumen microbial changes in Japanese Black cattle during these stages. Therefore, this study aimed to examine Japanese Black steers in these three stages: early (T1, 12-14 months), middle (T2, 15-22 months), and late (T3, 23-30 months). The rumen bacteria of 21 cattle per phase was analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Rumen bacterial diversity was significantly higher in T1, with a distinct distribution, than in T2 and T3. Specific phyla and genera were exclusive to each stage, reflecting the shifts in feed composition. Certain genera dominated each stage: T1 had Flexilinea, Streptococcus, Butyrivibrio, Selenomonas, and Kandleria; T2 had Bifidobacterium, Shuttleworthia, and Sharpea; and T3 had Acetitomaculum, Mycoplasma, Atopobium, and Howardella. Correlation analysis revealed significant associations between certain microbial populations and physiological parameters. These findings indicate that changes in energy content and feed composition are associated with physiological and ruminal alterations. This study may guide strategies to improve rumen health and productivity in Japanese Black cattle by modifying diets to specific fattening stages.

Genetic aspects of immunoglobulins and cyclophilin A in milk as potential indicators of mastitis resistance in Holstein cows.

Mastitis is one of the most frequent and costly diseases affecting dairy cattle. Natural antibodies (immunoglobulins) and cyclophilin A (CyPA), the most abundant member of the family of peptidyl prolyl cis/trans isomerases, in milk may serve as indicators of mastitis resistance in dairy cattle. However, genetic information for CyPA is not available, and knowledge on the genetic and nongenetic relationships between these immune-related traits and somatic cell score (SCS) and milk yield in dairy cattle is sparse. Therefore, we aimed to comprehensively evaluate whether immune-related traits consisting of 5 Ig classes (IgG, IgG1, IgG2, IgA, and IgM) and CyPA in the test-day milk of Holstein cows can be used as genetic indicators of mastitis resistance by evaluating the genetic and nongenetic relationships with SCS in milk. The nongenetic factors affecting immune-related traits and the effects of these traits on SCS were evaluated. Furthermore, the genetic parameters of immune-related traits according to health status and genetic relationships under different SCS environments were estimated. All immune-related traits were significantly associated with SCS and directly proportional. Additionally, evaluation using a classification tree revealed that IgA, IgG2, and IgG were associated with SCS levels. Genetic factor analyses indicated that heritability estimates were low for CyPA (0.08) but moderate for IgG (0.37), IgA (0.44), and IgM (0.44), with positive genetic correlations among Ig (0.25-0.96). We also evaluated the differences in milk yield and SCS of cows between the low and high groups according to their sires' estimated breeding value for immune-related traits. In the high group, IgA had a significantly lower SCS in milk at 7 to 30 d compared with that in the low group. Furthermore, the Ig in milk had high positive genetic correlations between healthy and infected conditions (0.82-0.99), suggesting that Ig in milk under healthy conditions could interact with those under infected conditions, owing to the genetic ability based on the level of Ig in milk. Thus, Ig in milk are potential indicators for the genetic selection of mastitis resistance. However, because only the relationship between immune-related traits and SCS was investigated in this study, further study on the relationship between clinical mastitis and Ig in milk is needed before Ig can be used as an indicator of mastitis resistance.

Exploring indicators of genetic selection using the sniffer method to reduce methane emissions from Holstein cows.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate whether the methane (CH4) to carbon dioxide (CO2) ratio (CH4/CO2) and methane-related traits obtained by the sniffer method can be used as indicators for genetic selection of Holstein cows with lower CH4 emissions. METHODS: The sniffer method was used to simultaneously measure the concentrations of CH4 and CO2 during milking in each milking box of the automatic milking system to obtain CH4/CO2. Methane-related traits, which included CH4 emissions, CH4 per energy-corrected milk, methane conversion factor (MCF), and residual CH4, were calculated. First, we investigated the impact of the model with and without body weight (BW) on the lactation stage and parity for predicting methane-related traits using a first on-farm dataset (Farm 1; 400 records for 74 Holstein cows). Second, we estimated the genetic parameters for CH4/CO2 and methane-related traits using a second on-farm dataset (Farm 2; 520 records for 182 Holstein cows). Third, we compared the repeatability and environmental effects on these traits in both farm datasets. RESULTS: The data from Farm 1 revealed that MCF can be reliably evaluated during the lactation stage and parity, even when BW is excluded from the model. Farm 2 data revealed low heritability and moderate repeatability for CH4/CO2 (0.12 and 0.46, respectively) and MCF (0.13 and 0.38, respectively). In addition, the estimated genetic correlation of milk yield with CH4/CO2 was low (0.07) and that with MCF was moderate (-0.53). The on-farm data indicated that CH4/CO2 and MCF could be evaluated consistently during the lactation stage and parity with moderate repeatability on both farms. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the on-farm applicability of the sniffer method for selecting cows with low CH4 emissions.

Physiological roles and regulation of hepatic angiopoietin-like protein 3 in Japanese Black cattle (Bos taurus) during the fattening period.

Angiopoietin-like protein 3 (ANGPTL3) is expressed predominantly in the liver and plays a major role in regulating the circulating triglyceride and lipoprotein fraction concentrations by inhibiting lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity. Given these physiological roles, ANGPTL3 may play an important role in metabolic changes related to fat accumulation during the fattening period in Japanese Black. This study aimed to reveal the physiological roles of hepatic ANGPTL3 in Japanese Black steers (Bos taurus) during the fattening period and investigate the regulatory effects of hepatic ANGPTL3. To investigate the gene expression and protein localization of ANGPTL3, 18 tissue samples were collected from tree male Holstein bull calves aged 7 wk. Biopsied liver tissues and blood samples were collected from 21 Japanese Black steers during the early (T1; 13 mo of age), middle (T2; 20 mo), and late fattening phases (T3; 28 mo). Relative mRNA expression, blood metabolite concentrations, hormone concentrations, growth, and carcass traits were analyzed. To identify the regulatory factors of hepatic ANGPTL3, primary bovine hepatocytes collected by two Holstein calves aged 7 wk were incubated with insulin, palmitate, oleate, propionate, acetate, or beta-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA). The ANGPTL3 gene was most highly expressed in the liver, with minor expression in the renal cortex, lungs, reticulum, and jejunum in Holstein bull calves. In Japanese Black steers, relative ANGPTL3 mRNA expressions were less as fattening progressed, and blood triglyceride, total cholesterol, and nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentrations increased. Relative ANGPTL8 and Liver X receptor alpha (LXRα) mRNA expressions decreased in late and middle fattening phases, respectively. Furthermore, relative ANGTPL3 mRNA expression was positively correlated with ANGPTL8 (r = 0.650; P < 0.01) and ANGPTL4 (r = 0.540; P < 0.05) in T3 and T1, respectively, and LXRα showed no correlation with ANGPTL3. Relative ANGTPL3 mRNA expression was negatively correlated with total cholesterol (r = -0.434; P < 0.05) and triglyceride (r = -0.645; P < 0.01) concentrations in T3 and T1, respectively; There was no significant correlation between ANGTPL3 and carcass traits. Relative ANGTPL3 mRNA expression in cultured bovine hepatocytes was downregulated in oleate treatment. Together, these findings suggest that ANGPTL3 downregulation in late fattening phases is associated with the changes in lipid metabolism.

The role of angiopoietin-like protein 3 (ANGPTL3) in various animal species under different physiological conditions remains largely unknown. We evaluated the physiological roles of hepatic ANGPTL3 in Japanese Black steers (Bos taurus) during the fattening period and investigated the expressional regulation of ANGPTL3 in bovine hepatocytes. Relative ANGPTL3 mRNA expression decreased late in the fattening phases. Relative ANGPTL3 mRNA expression was positively correlated with ANGPTL4 and ANGPTL8 and was negatively correlated with blood triglyceride concentrations in early fattening phases. Relative ANGPTL3 mRNA expression in cultured bovine hepatocytes was downregulated in oleate treatment. Fatty acids may influence ANGPTL3 expression in cultured bovine hepatocytes through possible regulatory factors. Our findings suggest that the physiological roles of ANGPTL3 are associated with the changes of lipid metabolism during the fattening period, and the ANGPTL family seem to be associated with blood lipid metabolites.

Metabolomic and Proteomic Profiling of Porcine Intestinal Epithelial Cells Infected with Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) infection results in severe epidemic diarrhea and the death of suckling pigs. Although new knowledge about the pathogenesis of PEDV has been improved, alterations in metabolic processes and the functional regulators involved in PEDV infection with host cells remain largely unknow. To identify cellular metabolites and proteins related to PEDV pathogenesis, we synergistically investigated the metabolome and proteome profiles of PEDV-infected porcine intestinal epithelial cells by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification techniques. We identified 522 differential metabolites in positive and negative ion modes and 295 differentially expressed proteins after PEDV infection. Pathways of cysteine and methionine metabolism, glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, and mineral absorption were significantly enriched by differential metabolites and differentially expressed proteins. The betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase (BHMT) was indicated as a potential regulator involved in these metabolic processes. We then knocked down the BHMT gene and observed that down-expression of BHMT obviously decreased copy numbers of PEDV and virus titers (p < 0.01). Our findings provide new insights into the metabolic and proteomic profiles in PEDV-infected host cells and contribute to our further understanding of PEDV pathogenesis.

Genome-wide detection of changes in allelic frequency in Landrace pigs selected for resistance to mycoplasma pneumonia of swine.

Closed-pig line breeding could change the genetic structure at a genome-wide scale because of the selection in a pig breeding population. We investigated the changes in population structure among generations at a genome-wide scale and the selected loci across the genome by comparing the observed and expected allele frequency changes in mycoplasma pneumonia of swine (MPS)-selected pigs. Eight hundred and seventy-four Landrace pigs, selected for MPS resistance without reducing average daily gain over five generations, had 37,299 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and were used for genomic analyses. Regarding population structure, individuals in the first generation were the most widely distributed and then converged into a specific group, as they were selected over five generations. For allele frequency changes, 96 and 14 SNPs had higher allele frequency changes than the 99.9% and 99.99% thresholds of the expected changes, respectively. These SNPs were evenly spread across the genome, and a few of these selected regions overlapped with previously detected quantitative trait loci for MPS and immune-related traits. Our results indicated that the considerable changes in allele frequency were identified in many regions across the genome by closed-pig line breeding based on estimated breeding value.

Characteristics of Physiological Parameters of Japanese Black Calves Relate to Carcass Weight.

This study aimed to identify the growth performance and blood factors associated with carcass weight in Japanese Black calves based on 675 performance tests and field carcass records. We measured the body weight, withers height, and chest girth at the start of fattening age (approximately 8-10 months) and analyzed eight blood factors, including vitamins and metabolites. Single- and two-trait animal models were used to estimate the heritability and genetic correlations. The heritability estimates for growth performance were moderate to high (ranging from 0.48 to 0.74), and those for blood metabolites were low to moderate (ranging from 0.19 to 0.51). Estimates for genetic correlations of carcass or body weight with body weight, withers height, and chest girth were high (ranging from 0.42 to 0.80). The body weight and withers height at 8 months of age are possibly closely related to the final carcass weight. The blood metabolites associated with body weight were vitamin E in steers (castrated males) and ß-carotene in heifers. Our findings indicate that body measurements and blood metabolites measured during the growing period could be used to determine the nutritional and physiological status of cattle as well as predict carcass weight.

Metabolomics and Transcriptomics Analyses of Curcumin Alleviation of Ochratoxin A-Induced Hepatotoxicity.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is one of the mycotoxins that poses a serious threat to human and animal health. Curcumin (CUR) is a major bioactive component of turmeric that provides multiple health benefits. CUR can reduce the toxicities induced by mycotoxins, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. To explore the effects of CUR on OTA toxicity and identify the key regulators and metabolites involved in the biological processes, we performed metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses of livers from OTA-exposed mice. We found that CUR can alleviate the toxic effects of OTA on body growth and liver functions. In addition, CUR supplementation significantly affects the expressions of 1584 genes and 97 metabolites. Integrated analyses of transcriptomic and metabolomic data showed that the pathways including Arachidonic acid metabolism, Purine metabolism, and Cholesterol metabolism were significantly enriched. Pantothenic acid (PA) was identified as a key metabolite, the exogenous supplementation of which was observed to significantly alleviate the OTA-induced accumulation of reactive oxygen species and cell apoptosis. Further mechanistical analyses revealed that PA can downregulate the expression level of proapoptotic protein BAX, enhance the expression level of apoptosis inhibitory protein BCL2, and decrease the level of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (pERK1/2). This study demonstrated that CUR can alleviate the adverse effects of OTA by influencing the transcriptomic and metabolomic profiles of livers, which may contribute to the application of CUR in food and feed products for the prevention of OTA toxicity.

Ultra-rapid real-time polymerase chain reaction assay for genotyping of the NT5E gene in Japanese black beef using a mobile PCR device, PCR 1100.

The concentration of inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP) in beef is an important factor contributing to beef palatability. A previous study suggested that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ecto-5'-nucleotidase (NT5E) gene strongly affect the concentration of IMP under postmortem conditions by regulating NT5E enzymatic activity in beef. Genotyping of the NT5E gene is performed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) or real-time PCR assay. However, these conventional laboratory assays require large installed instruments. They also involve complicated procedures and are time-consuming. Here, the PCR primers and probes for the NT5E gene (rs42508588 SNP) were designed and synthesized, and we examined the rapid genotyping of the NT5E gene using a PicoGene PCR 1100 mobile PCR device. The results showed that this system enabled rapid amplification of each allele at approximately 19.4 s per cycle, with a total run time of 13 min 36 s. This device is portable and does not require a power supply, which facilitates its use not only in specific laboratories but also in meat production farms and distribution stages of beef.

Genomic dissection of repeatability considering additive and nonadditive genetic effects for semen production traits in beef and dairy bulls.

The low heritability and moderate repeatability of semen production traits in beef and dairy bulls suggest that nonadditive genetic effects, such as dominance and epistatic effects, play an important role in semen production and should therefore be considered in genetic improvement programs. In this study, the repeatability of semen production traits in Japanese Black bulls (JB) as beef bulls and Holstein bulls (HOL) as dairy bulls was evaluated by considering additive and nonadditive genetic effects using the Illumina BovineSNP50 BeadChip. We also evaluated the advantage of using more complete models that include nonadditive genetic effects by comparing the rank of genotyped animals and the phenotype prediction ability of each model. In total, 65,463 records for 615 genotyped JB and 48,653 records for 845 genotyped HOL were used to estimate additive and nonadditive (dominance and epistatic) variance components for semen volume (VOL), sperm concentration (CON), sperm motility (MOT), MOT after freeze-thawing (aMOT), and sperm number (NUM). In the model including both additive and nonadditive genetic effects, the broad-sense heritability (0.17 to 0.43) was more than twice as high as the narrow-sense heritability (0.04 to 0.11) for all traits and breeds, and the differences between the broad-sense heritability and repeatability were very small for VOL, NUM, and CON in both breeds. A large proportion of permanent environmental variance was explained by epistatic variance. The epistatic variance as a proportion of total phenotypic variance was 0.07 to 0.33 for all traits and breeds. In addition, heterozygosity showed significant positive relationships with NUM, MOT, and aMOT in JB and NUM in HOL, when the heterozygosity rate was included as a covariate. In a comparison of models, the inclusion of nonadditive genetic effects resulted in a re-ranking of the top genotyped bulls for the additive effects. Adjusting for nonadditive genetic effects could be expected to produce a more accurate breeding value, even if the models have similar fitting. However, including nonadditive genetic effects did not improve the ability of any model to predict phenotypic values for any trait or breed compared with the predictive ability of a model that includes only additive effects. Consequently, although nonadditive genetic effects, especially epistatic effects, play an important role in semen production traits, they do not improve prediction accuracy in beef and dairy bulls.

Improving reproductive efficiency is a key objective in the beef and dairy cattle industries, and bull fertility is an important determinant of the reproductive performance of cows. The heritability of semen production traits is generally low; however, their repeatability is moderate. This difference between repeatability and heritability suggests that nonadditive genetic effects, such as dominance and epistatic genetic effects, could have an important role in semen production traits in bulls. Here, we estimated repeatability for semen production traits in beef and dairy bulls by considering additive and nonadditive genetic effects. Our results suggest that the contribution of nonadditive genetic effects to differences between repeatability and heritability was very high. Nonadditive genetic effects, especially epistatic effects, played important roles in semen production traits in beef and dairy bulls. However, we found that the inclusion of nonadditive genetic effects in a predictive model does not improve phenotypic prediction accuracy; further studies are needed to improve the predictive ability when using nonadditive genetic effects.

Physiological responses and adaptations to high methane production in Japanese Black cattle.

In this study, using enteric methane emissions, we investigated the metabolic characteristics of Japanese Black cattle. Their methane emissions were measured at early (age 13 months), middle (20 months), and late fattening phases (28 months). Cattle with the highest and lowest methane emissions were selected based on the residual methane emission values, and their liver transcriptome, blood metabolites, hormones, and rumen fermentation characteristics were analyzed. Blood ß-hydroxybutyric acid and insulin levels were high, whereas blood amino acid levels were low in cattle with high methane emissions. Further, propionate and butyrate levels differed depending on the enteric methane emissions. Hepatic genes, such as SERPINI2, SLC7A5, ATP6, and RRAD, which were related to amino acid transport and glucose metabolism, were upregulated or downregulated during the late fattening phase. The above mentioned metabolites and liver transcriptomes could be used to evaluate enteric methanogenesis in Japanese Black cattle.

Estimates of genetic parameters for adenosine triphosphate-related compounds at different aging periods and NT5E genotypes in Japanese Black beef.

Previous studies on Japanese Black beef showed that single nucleotide polymorphisms in the ecto-5'-nucleotidase (NT5E) gene affected the degradation rate of inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP), which has contributed to the umami taste, especially between Postmortem Days 4 and 7. Therefore, this study estimated the genetic parameters of IMP and its degradation products on Postmortem Days 4 and 7 using the model with or without the NT5E genotype. The heritability estimates of IMP on Postmortem Days 4 and 7 were moderate by the model without the NT5E genotype (0.44 and 0.32, respectively). When the NT5E genotype was included in the model, the heritability of IMP on Postmortem Day 4 did not change, whereas that on Day 7 decreased from 0.32 to 0.08. The genetic correlation of IMP between Postmortem Days 4 and 7 was highly positive using the model with the NT5E genotype. Regarding the estimated breeding values (EBVs) of IMP, the ranking of EBVs among NT5E genotypes was not changed between Postmortem Days 4 and 7, when the model with the NT5E genotype was used. The study suggested that the model including NT5E genotype would allow for appropriate genetic parameter estimation and breeding value evaluation in adenosine triphosphate-related compounds (ATPRCs) under different aging periods.

Genetic relationship between superovulatory response traits and carcass traits in Japanese Black cattle.

We estimated the genetic correlations between superovulatory response traits and carcass traits in Japanese Black cattle. As regards the superovulatory response traits in cows, we analyzed the phenotypic records of the total number of embryos and oocytes (TNE) and the number of good embryos (NGE) collected from 1532 donors between 2008 and 2018. As regards the carcass traits in fattened animals, we analyzed the phenotypic records for cold carcass weight, rib eye area, rib thickness, subcutaneous fat thickness, estimated yield percent, and marbling score for 1448 progenies derived from 596 donors and slaughtered between 2004 and 2020. Variance components were estimated using single-trait and two-trait animal models and the restricted maximum likelihood approach. The estimated genetic correlations with the carcass traits ranged from -0.05 to 0.04 for TNE and from -0.14 to 0.04 for NGE, and their standard errors ranged from 0.10 to 0.14. These results imply that the genetic relationship between the superovulatory response traits in Japanese Black donor cows and the carcass traits in their fattened progenies was weak to negligible. Therefore, we concluded that selecting donors with superior genetic ability for superovulatory responses would not have antagonistic effects on carcass performance in their fattened progenies.

Changes in the liver transcriptome and physiological parameters of Japanese Black steers during the fattening period.

We investigated the physiological changes during the fattening period and production characteristics in Japanese Black steers bred and raised using the typical feeding system in Japan. Here, 21 Japanese Black steers aged 12 months were used, with experimental period divided into early (12-14 months of age), middle (15-22 months), and late fattening phases (23-30 months). The liver transcriptome, blood metabolites, hormones, and rumen fermentation characteristics were analyzed. Blood triglyceride and non-esterified fatty acid concentrations increased, whereas blood ketone levels decreased, with fattening phases. Blood insulin increased with fattening phases and was positively correlated with carcass weight and marbling in late fattening phases. Rumen fermentation characteristics showed high propionate levels and low butyrate levels in late fattening phases, likely due to increased energy intake. Genes related to glucose metabolism, such as SESN3, INSR, LEPR, and FOXO3, were down-regulated in late fattening phases. Genes related to lipid metabolism, such as FABP4, were up-regulated, whereas FADS1 and FADS2 were down-regulated. These findings suggest that the physiological changes resulted from changes in the energy content and composition of diets. Liver metabolism changed with changes in fat metabolism. Insulin was strongly associated with physiological changes and productivity in Japanese Black cattle.

Genome-wide transcriptional profiling and functional analysis reveal miR-330-MAPK15 axis involving in cellular responses to deoxynivalenol exposure.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of the mycotoxins that is toxic to agricultural environment, which poses high risks to human and farm animal health. Noncoding RNAs have been shown to be crucial regulators of toxicological processes and as promising biomarkers for toxicity monitoring and prevention of mycotoxin contamination. Herein, we characterized genome-wide transcriptional profiling of porcine intestinal epithelial cells upon DON exposure and illustrated a subset of miRNAs and lncRNAs involved in the cellular processes by targeting genes associated with stress responses. A total of 110 differential expression miRNAs and 143 differential expression lncRNAs were identified between the DON exposure and control cell samples. Interactive network analysis showed that miR-330 was one hub noncoding RNA, expression of which was significantly increased upon DON exposure. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that the genes involved in the networks were mainly enriched in the terms of plasma membrane bounded cell projection assembly, mRNA processing, and regulation of mitochondrion organization. Further functional analysis revealed that high expression of miR-330 inhibits the reactive oxygen species production, cell apoptosis, and autophagic flux in cells upon DON exposure. Luciferase assay further indicated that miR-330 could directly target MAPK15. Knockdown of MAPK15 resulted in decreased reactive oxygen species level and cell apoptosis induced by DON, indicating the existence of miR-330-MAPK15 regulatory axis in regulating DON toxicity. Our work shed novel insights into the mode of action of DON at cellular level and indicated the potential of miR-330 as a biomarker for toxicity monitoring of DON contamination, which contributes to the development of effective biomonitoring and prevention strategies to reduce the toxicological effects of DON.

Genetic relationships of feed efficiency and growth traits with carcass traits in Japanese Shorthorn cattle.

In this study, we examined genetic parameters for feed efficiency, growth, and carcass traits in Japanese Shorthorn cattle, based on 714 performance tests and 15,790 field carcass records. Feed efficiency traits, including residual feed intake (RFI) and residual body weight gain (RG), were calculated. Single-trait and two-trait animal models were used to estimate heritability and genetic correlations. Heritability estimates for feed efficiency traits were found to be low to moderate (ranging from 0.03 to 0.36); notably, heritability was moderate for RG and low for RFI. Estimates for genetic correlations between feed efficiency traits and average daily gain (DG) were favorably moderate to high (absolute values of 0.43-0.85), and those with daily feed intake were low (absolute values of 0.00-0.32). We also estimated a high genetic correlation between RG and DG. The backfat thickness (BF) of bull calves showed favorable or no genetic correlation estimates with feed efficiency and growth traits, whereas RG and BF showed favorable or no genetic correlation estimates with carcass traits. Our findings indicate that genetic improvements in both feed utilization ability and carcass traits could be achieved by utilizing RG and BF in Japanese Shorthorn cattle.

Exploring the size of reference population for expected accuracy of genomic prediction using simulated and real data in Japanese Black cattle.

BACKGROUND: Size of reference population is a crucial factor affecting the accuracy of prediction of the genomic estimated breeding value (GEBV). There are few studies in beef cattle that have compared accuracies achieved using real data to that achieved with simulated data and deterministic predictions. Thus, extent to which traits of interest affect accuracy of genomic prediction in Japanese Black cattle remains obscure. This study aimed to explore the size of reference population for expected accuracy of genomic prediction for simulated and carcass traits in Japanese Black cattle using a large amount of samples. RESULTS: A simulation analysis showed that heritability and size of reference population substantially impacted the accuracy of GEBV, whereas the number of quantitative trait loci did not. The estimated numbers of independent chromosome segments (Me) and the related weighting factor (w) derived from simulation results and a maximum likelihood (ML) approach were 1900-3900 and 1, respectively. The expected accuracy for trait with heritability of 0.1-0.5 fitted well with empirical values when the reference population comprised > 5000 animals. The heritability for carcass traits was estimated to be 0.29-0.41 and the accuracy of GEBVs was relatively consistent with simulation results. When the reference population comprised 7000-11,000 animals, the accuracy of GEBV for carcass traits can range 0.73-0.79, which is comparable to estimated breeding value obtained in the progeny test. CONCLUSION: Our simulation analysis demonstrated that the expected accuracy of GEBV for a polygenic trait with low-to-moderate heritability could be practical in Japanese Black cattle population. For carcass traits, a total of 7000-11,000 animals can be a sufficient size of reference population for genomic prediction.

Evaluation of inbreeding and genetic diversity in Japanese Shorthorn cattle by pedigree analysis.

The Japanese Shorthorn is a Japanese Wagyu breed maintained at a small population size. We assessed the degree of inbreeding and genetic diversity among Japanese Shorthorn cattle using pedigree analysis. We analyzed the pedigree records of registered Japanese Shorthorn born between 1980 and 2018, after evaluating the pedigree completeness. The average of the actual inbreeding coefficients increased at the same rates annually from approximately 1.5% in 1980 to 4.2% in 2018 and was higher than the expected inbreeding coefficients over time. The effective population size based on the individual coancestry rate largely decreased from 127.8 in 1980 to 82.6 in 1999, and then remained almost constant at approximately 90. Three effective numbers of ancestors decreased over time until 1995, then remained almost constant. In particular, the effective number of founder genomes (Nge ) decreased from 43.8 in 1980 to 11.9 in 2018. The index of genetic diversity based on Nge decreased from 0.99 in 1980 to 0.96 in 2018 due to genetic drift in non-founder generations. Changes in inbreeding and genetic diversity parameters were similar between Japanese Shorthorn and other Japanese Wagyu breeds, but the magnitude of the changes was lower in the Japanese Shorthorn.