Genome-wide analyses reveal a strong association between LEPR gene variants and body fat reserves in ewes.

BACKGROUND: Among the adaptive capacities of animals, the management of energetic body reserves (BR) through the BR mobilization and accretion processes (BR dynamics, BRD) has become an increasingly valuable attribute for livestock sustainability, allowing animals to cope with more variable environments. BRD has previously been reported to be heritable in ruminants. In the present work, we conducted genome-wide studies (GWAS) in sheep to determine genetic variants associated with BRD. BR (i.e. levels) and BRD (i.e. changes over time) were obtained through body condition score measurements at eight physiological stages throughout each productive cycle in Romane ewes (n = 1034) and were used as phenotypes for GWAS. After quality controls and imputation, 48,593 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) were included in the GWAS. RESULTS: Among the 23 QTL regions identified, a major QTL associated with BR during pregnancy and lactation was identified on chromosome 1. In this region, several significant SNPs mapped to the leptin receptor gene (LEPR), among which one SNP mapped to the coding sequence. The point mutation induces the p.P1019S substitution in the cytoplasmic domain, close to tyrosine phosphorylation sites. The frequency of the SNP associated with increased BR levels was 32%, and the LEPR genotype explained up to 5% of the variance of the trait. Higher fatness levels in ewes carrying the LEPR p.P1019S mutation were observed all along the productive cycle. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide strong evidences for involvement of LEPR in the regulation of BR in sheep and highlight it as a major candidate gene for improving adaptive capacities by genetic selection.

Maternal reactivity of ewes at lambing is genetically linked to their behavioural reactivity in an arena test.

In sheep, the bond between the dam and her lambs is established during the first hours of a lamb's life. Genetic variability for behavioural reactivity of ewes assessed in an arena test performed 24 hr after lambing has already been reported. However, there is no evidence that this reactivity represents the ewe's maternal reactivity at lambing in outdoor conditions. The objective of this study was to investigate whether or not the behavioural reactivity of ewes in the arena test is genetically related to their maternal reactivity measured at lambing. A total of 935 Romane ewes were studied. The maternal reactivity of ewes at the outdoor lambing site was recorded in response to a human approach and to the handling of the lambs. Their behavioural reactivity was also recorded 24 hr post-lambing in the arena test that involved a separation from the litter and a human presence. Flight distance, aggressive reaction, time to restore contact with the litter, maternal behaviour scores and vocalizations recorded at the lambing site were heritable (0.12-0.34). All of these behaviours were genetically correlated with the behavioural reactivity in the arena test. The highest genetic correlations (from 0.60 to 0.90) were found amongst maternal behavioural scores, flight distance and high-pitched bleats. In conclusion, behavioural reactivity in the arena test can be used to assess early maternal reactivity in standardized conditions. Phenotyping of ewes' behavioural reactivity with a simplified arena test can be performed for genetic improvement in maternal behaviour in sheep.

Genetic parameters estimates for ewes' behavioural reactivity towards their litter after lambing.

In livestock, improving maternal reactivity towards the litter is an important issue in breeding strategies to promote production and animal welfare. As of yet, no studies have investigated the within-breed genetic variation of maternal reactivity in sheep. The objective of this study was to estimate the genetic parameters of maternal reactivity traits. A total of 1,095 primiparous and 1,441 multiparous Romane ewes were phenotyped 24 hr postlambing using a behavioural test (arena test, AT) over a 10-year experimental period. The test consisted of three successive phases evaluating the ewe's attraction to her litter, reactivity to separation from her litter, and reactivity to a conflict between attraction to her litter and avoidance of a motionless human. The ewes were reared exclusively on rangelands (South of France) and lambed outdoors in the spring. High-pitched bleating and low-pitched bleating in the AT were mostly highly heritable (0.39-0.46). Heritabilities were moderate for proximity to the litter in the presence of a human (0.27) and low for locomotion and vigilance in the AT (0.09-0.15). The measurements of a given behaviour in the three phases of the AT were highly genetically correlated. Few genetic correlations were found between the different behavioural traits in the AT, the highest correlations being between high-pitched bleating and low-pitched bleating (-0.43 to -0.77). In conclusion, our findings demonstrate moderate-to-high heritability for maternal reactivity traits. These traits could be included in genetic selection schemes to enhance maternal attachment provided there is no unfavourable link with other production traits.

Identification of QTLs for behavioral reactivity to social separation and humans in sheep using the OvineSNP50 BeadChip.

BACKGROUND: Current trends in sheep farming practices rely on animals with a greater level of behavioral autonomy than before, a phenotype that actively contributes to the sustainability of animal production. Social reactivity and reactivity to humans are relevant behavioral traits in sheep, known for their strong gregariousness and weak tolerance to handling, which have previously been reported with moderate to high heritabilities. To identify loci underlying such behaviors, we performed a genome study in Romane lambs. RESULTS: The experiment was carried out on 934 male and female lambs allocated into 9 half-sib families (average of 103 lambs per family) and reared outside. After weaning, all the lambs were individually exposed to 4 standardized behavioral tests combining social isolation, exposure to humans or handling, confinement and novelty (i.e. arena test, corridor test, isolation box test, shearing test). A broad range of behaviors including vocalizations, locomotion, vigilance and flight distance, as well as the cortisol response to handling, were collected. All lambs were genotyped using the Illumina OvineSNP50 BeadChip. QTL detection was performed by linkage, association and joint linkage and association analyses using the QTLmap software. Five main QTL regions were identified on sheep chromosomes (Ovis Aries Region, OAR) 12, 16, 19, 21 and 23 among many other QTLs with small to moderate effects. The QTLs on OAR12, 16 and 21 showed significant associations with social reactivity. The QTLs on OAR19 and 23 were found to be associated with reactivity to humans. No overlapping QTLs were identified for the different traits measured in the behavioral tests, supporting the hypothesis that different genetic factors influence social reactivity and tolerance to humans. CONCLUSION: The results of this study using ovine SNP data suggest that in domestic sheep the behavioral responses to social separation and exposure to humans are under polygenic influence. The most relevant QTLs reported in the present study contain interesting candidate genes previously described to be associated with various emotional and social behaviors in mammals.

Combined effects of climate, resource availability, and plant traits on biomass produced in a Mediterranean rangeland.

Biomass production in grasslands, a key component of food provision for domestic herbivores, is known to depend on climate, resource availability, and on the functional characteristics of communities. However, the combined effects of these different factors remain largely unknown. The aim of the present study was to unravel the causes of variations in the standing biomass of plant communities using a long-term experiment conducted in a Mediterranean rangeland of Southern France. Two management regimes, sheep grazing and grazing associated with mineral fertilization, were applied to different areas of the study site over the past 25 years. Abiotic (temperature, available water, nutrients) and biotic (components of the functional structure communities) factors were considered to explain interannual and spatial variations in standing biomass in these rangelands. Standing biomass was highly predictable, with the best model explaining -80% of variations in the amount of biomass produced, but the variation explained by abiotic and biotic factors was dependent on the season and on the management regime. Abiotic factors were found to have comparable effects in both management regimes: The amount of biomass produced in the spring was limited by cold temperatures, while it was limited by water availability and high temperatures in the summer. In the fertilized community, the progressive change in the functional structure of the communities had significant effects on the amount of biomass produced: the dominance of few productive species which were functionally close led to higher peak standing biomass in spring.

Relationships between body reserve dynamics and rearing performances in meat ewes1.

The main objective of this work was to study the relationships between body reserve (BR) dynamics and rearing performance (PERF) traits in ewes from a Romane meat sheep flock managed extensively on "Causse" rangelands in the south of France. Flock records were used to generate data sets covering 14 lambing years (YR). The data set included 1,146 ewes with 2 ages of first lambing (AGE), 3 parities (PAR), and 4 litter sizes (LS). Repeated measurements of the BW and BCS were used as indicators of BR. The ewe PERF traits recorded were indirect measurements for maternal abilities and included prolificacy, litter weight and lamb BW at lambing and weaning, ADG at 1, 2, and 3 mo after lambing, and litter survival from lambing to weaning. The effects of different BW and BCS trajectories (e.g., changes in BW and BCS across the production cycle), previously been characterized in the same animals, on PERF traits were investigated. Such trajectories reflected different profiles at the intraflock level in the dynamics of BR mobilization-accretion cycles. Genetic relationships between BR and PERF traits were assessed. All the fixed variables considered (i.e., YR, AGE, PAR, LS, and SEX ratio of the litter) have significant effects on the PERF traits. Similarly, BW trajectories had an effect on the PERF traits across the 3 PARs studied, particularly during the first cycle (PAR 1). The BCS trajectories only affected prolificacy, lamb BW at birth, and litter survival. Most of the PERF traits considered here showed moderate heritabilities (0.17-0.23) except for prolificacy, the lamb growth rate during the third month and litter survival which showed very low heritabilities. With exception of litter survival and prolificacy, ewe PERF traits were genetically, strongly, and positively correlated with BW whatever the physiological stage. A few weak genetic correlations were found between BCS and PERF traits. As illustrated by BW and BCS changes over time, favorable genetic correlations were found, even if few and moderate, between BR accretion or mobilization and PERF traits, particularly for prolificacy and litter weight at birth. In conclusion, our results show significant relationships between BR dynamics and PERF traits in ewes, which could be considered in future sheep selection programs aiming to improve robustness.

Genetic analysis of robustness in meat sheep through body weight and body condition score changes over time.

Animal robustness may be defined as a complex trait characterizing the ability of an individual to be adapted, productive and healthy under contrasted and fluctuating environmental situations. Such a trait is now considered an essential criterion in order to meet the more ambitious goals of farming sustainability. In ruminants, one of the key mechanisms via which robustness is expressed is the capacity to mobilize or restore body reserves (BR) to cope with the challenges of negative energy balances. The objectives of this work were as follows: 1) to estimate the genetic parameters related to BR dynamics in ewes over successive production cycles and 2) to investigate BR management relationships between different physiological stages. For this, historical individual BW and BCS data from 2,920 phenotyped ewes were used for genetic analysis. The changes in BW (∆BW) and BCS (∆BCS) over time were analyzed. Eight physiological stages were considered to investigate these changes over time: mating, early pregnancy, mid-pregnancy, lambing, early suckling, mid-suckling, weaning, and postweaning. The estimated heritability were low for both ∆BW (h2 = 0.13 to 0.18) and ∆BCS (h2 = 0.04 to 0.16). Moderate to high positive genetic correlations (from 0.48 to 0.91) were obtained between BR mobilization phases and between BR accretion phases. Similarly, moderate to high negative genetic correlations (from -0.36 to -0.75) were estimated between the BR mobilization and accretion periods, suggesting that mechanisms driving BR mobilization and accretion processes were genetically correlated. This is the first study in ruminants that demonstrate that the extent and temporal changes in profiles of BR mobilization and accretion are heritable and genetically linked, indicating that such traits could be considered in genetic programs aimed at improving robustness. Nevertheless, further research is needed for a more comprehensive understanding of BR dynamics, notably by including other physiological parameters (i.e., metabolites and hormones) and additional information on the productive and reproductive life of the ewe.