Genetic Parameters for Functional Longevity, Type Traits, and Production in the Serbian Holstein.

In this study, the authors focused on the evaluation of the genetic parameters of longevity, milk yield traits, and type traits in dairy cattle populations in the Republic of Serbia. The total dataset used consisted of production records and pedigree data for 32,512 Holstein cows that calved from 1981 to 2015. The animal model was applied to determine the variance and covariance components and genetic parameters of the analyzed traits by applying the restricted maximum likelihood (REML) approach and using the programs VCE6 and PEST. The heritability of longevity traits was estimated using the Survival Kit V6.0 software package. Variance and covariance were estimated for five production traits: milk yield (MY), fat yield (FY), protein yield (PY), milk fat content (MC), and protein content (PC), and three longevity traits: length of productive life (LPL), lifetime milk yield (LMY), and the number of lactations achieved (NL) as well as for 18 standard type traits. Heritabilities for the milk, fat, and protein yield traits were 0.20 (MY), 0.15 (FY), and 0.19 (PY), respectively. The estimated coefficients of heritability for the longevity traits were higher when using the Weibull proportional hazards model compared to the traditional linear methods and ranged from 0.08 for NL to 0.10 for LPL. Heritability values for the type traits varied from a low of 0.10 (RLSsv-rear legs set-side view) to medium values of 0.32 (ST-stature). Genetic correlations were found between MY and the following longevity traits: LPL, LMY, and NL with values of -0.18, -0.11, and -0.09, respectively. Genetic correlations were found between MY and a number of linear type traits and varied from 0.02 (between MY and RUH-rear udder height) to 0.28 (between MY and FUA-fore udder attachment). Genetic correlations between the 18 investigated type traits ranged from -0.33 between TL (top line) and RTP (rear teats position) to 0.71 between AN (angularity) and RUH (rear udder height). Genetic correlations between most linear type traits and longevity traits (LPL, LMY, and NL) were generally negative and very low. The highest positive genetic correlation was found between UD and LPL (rxy = 0.38).

Large-scale mitogenome sequencing reveals consecutive expansions of domestic taurine cattle and supports sporadic aurochs introgression.

The contribution of domestic cattle in human societies is enormous, making cattle, along with other essential benefits, the economically most important domestic animal in the world today. To expand existing knowledge on cattle domestication and mitogenome diversity, we performed a comprehensive complete mitogenome analysis of the species (802 sequences, 114 breeds). A large sample was collected in South-east Europe, an important agricultural gateway to Europe during Neolithization and a region rich in cattle biodiversity. We found 1725 polymorphic sites (810 singletons, 853 parsimony-informative sites and 57 indels), 701 unique haplotypes, a haplotype diversity of 0.9995 and a nucleotide diversity of 0.0015. In addition to the dominant T3 and several rare haplogroups (Q, T5, T4, T2 and T1), we have identified maternal line in Austrian Murbodner cattle that possess surviving aurochs' mitochondria haplotype P1 that diverged prior to the Neolithization process. This is convincing evidence for rare female-mediated adaptive introgression of wild aurochs into domesticated cattle in Europe. We revalidated the existing haplogroup classification and provided Bayesian phylogenetic inference with a more precise estimated divergence time than previously available. Occasionally, classification based on partial mitogenomes was not reliable; for example, some individuals with haplogroups P and T5 were not recognized based on D-loop information. Bayesian skyline plot estimates (median) show that the earliest population growth began before domestication in cattle with haplogroup T2, followed by Q (~10.0-9.5 kyBP), whereas cattle with T3 (~7.5 kyBP) and T1 (~3.0-2.5 kyBP) expanded later. Overall, our results support the existence of interactions between aurochs and cattle during domestication and dispersal of cattle in the past, contribute to the conservation of maternal cattle diversity and enable functional analyses of the surviving aurochs P1 mitogenome.

Impact of COVID-19 confinement on eating behaviours across 16 European countries: The COVIDiet cross-national study.

We aimed to evaluate the changes in eating behaviours of the adult population across 16 European countries due to the COVID-19 confinement and to evaluate whether these changes were somehow related to the severity of the containment measures applied in each country. An anonymous online self-reported questionnaire on socio-demographic characteristics, validated 14-items Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) Adherence Screener (MEDAS) as a reference of a healthy diet, eating and lifestyle behaviours prior to and during the COVID-19 confinement was used to collect data. The study included an adult population residing in 16 European countries at the time of the survey. Aggregated Stringency Index (SI) score, based on data from the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker, was calculated for each country at the time the questionnaire was distributed (range: 0-100). A total of 36,185 participants completed the questionnaire (77.6% female, 75.2% with high educational level and 42.7% aged between 21 and 35 years). In comparison to pre-confinement, a significantly higher adherence to the MedDiet during the confinement was observed across all countries (overall MEDAS score prior to- and during confinement: 5.23 ± 2.06 vs. 6.15 ± 2.06; p < 0.001), with the largest increase seen in Greece and North Macedonia. The highest adherence to MedDiet during confinement was found in Spain and Portugal (7.18 ± 1.84 and 7.34 ± 1.95, respectively). Stricter contingency restrictions seemed to lead to a significantly higher increase in the adherence to the MedDiet. The findings from this cross-sectional study could be used to inform current diet-related public health guidelines to ensure optimal nutrition is followed among the population, which in turn would help to alleviate the current public health crisis.

Conservation of a domestic metapopulation structured into related and partly admixed strains.

Preservation of genetic diversity is one of the most pressing challenges in the planetary boundaries concept. Within this context, we focused on genetic diversity in a native, unselected and highly admixed domesticated metapopulation. A set of 1,828 individuals from 60 different cattle breeds was analysed using a medium density SNP chip. Among these breeds, 14 Busa strains formed a metapopulation represented by 350 individuals, while the remaining 46 breeds represented the global cattle population. Genetic analyses showed that the scarcely selected and less differentiated Busa metapopulation contributed a substantial proportion (52.6%) of the neutral allelic diversity to this global taurine population. Consequently, there is an urgent need for synchronized maintenance of this highly fragmented domestic metapopulation, which is distributed over several countries without sophisticated infrastructure and highly endangered by continuous replacement crossing as part of the global genetic homogenization process. This study collected and evaluated samples, data and genomewide information and developed genome-assisted cross-border conservation concepts. To detect and maintain genetic integrity of the metapopulation strains, we designed and applied a composite test that combines six metrics based on additive genetic relationships, a nearest neighbour graph and the distribution of semiprivate alleles. Each metric provides distinct information components about past admixture events and offers an objective and powerful tool for the detection of admixed outliers. The here developed conservation methods and presented experiences could easily be adapted to comparable conservation programmes of domesticated or other metapopulations bred and kept in captivity or under some other sort of human control.

Conservation priorities of genetic diversity in domesticated metapopulations: a study in taurine cattle breeds.

We estimated neutral diversity of 21 European cattle breeds with 105 microsatellites. Nine of them resembled unselected Balkan Busa strains with diffuse breeding barriers and the 12 others were strongly differentiated, isolated breeds. Because of the impact of neutral genetic diversity on long-term population adaptive capacity, we discuss the long-term outcome of different conservation priorities in a subdivided metapopulation of the investigated cattle breeds. The optimal contribution to a pool of total genetic diversity allocated more than 95% of long-term relevant neutral diversity to virtually unselected strains of the Balkan Busa, while the maximization of total variance preferred inbred breeds. Current artificial selection methods, such as genomic selection sped up and a recovery of underestimated traits becomes quickly impossible. We emphasize that currently neutral and even deleterious alleles might be required for future genotypes in sustainable and efficient livestock breeding and production systems of a 21st century. We provide cumulative evidences that long-term survival relies on genetic complexity and complexity relies on allelic diversity. Our results suggest that virtually unselected, nonuniform strains harbor a crucial proportion of neutral diversity and should be conserved with high global priority. As one example, we suggest a cooperative maintenance of the nondifferentiated, highly fragmented, and fast vanishing metapopulation of Balkan Busa.

Research on spontaneously emerged chromosomal aberrations in the periphery blood lymphocytes in cattle ('Busa' breed).

Knowledge of spontaneous aberrations, namely, of their frequency in non-irradiated cells is of paramount importance not only in cytogenetic research, but also in contemporary animal production. The paper deals with research on spontaneously emerged chromosomal aberrations in the peripheral blood lymphocytes in the cattle of 'Busa' breed. To obtain metaphase chromosomes the conventional method of lymphocyte cultivation was used, albeit slightly modified and adapted to the examined animals and the laboratory conditions. The research findings indicate that a certain percent of spontaneously emerged chromosomal aberrations of chromatid type (gap and break) have been found in the peripheral blood lymphocytes in the cattle of 'Busa' breed.