Genetic polymorphisms related to meat traits in purebred and crossbred Nelore cattle

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

ORIGIN and EVOLUTION of DOMESTIC CATTLE

The origin and evolution of domestic cattle have recently moved to the forefront of the scientific literature in consideration of their links to human history and to decisions on Genetic Resources conservation strategies. DNA from modern and ancient Bos samples is being analysed to reconstruct, in cooperation with archaezoology, the main events and forces that shaped nowadays cattle genetic diversity. Still, a number of open questions remain, that hopefully will be answered with the help of new technologies and the combined analysis of worldwide data.

Synchronization of ovulation in crossbred dairy heifers using gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist, prostaglandin F2a and human chorionic gonadotrophin or estradiol benzoate

Girolando (Gir x Holstein) is a very common dairy breed in Brazil because it combines the rusticity of Gir (Bos indicus) with the high milk yield of Holstein (Bos taurus). The ovarian follicular dynamics and hormonal treatments for synchronization of ovulation and timed artificial insemination were studied in Girolando heifers. The injection of a gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist was followed 6 or 7 days (d) later by prostaglandin F2a (PGF2a). Twenty-four hours after PGF2a injection either human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG, GPh-d6 and GPh-d7 groups) or estradiol benzoate (EB, GPE-d6 and GPE-d7 groups) was administered to synchronize ovulation and consequently allow timed artificial insemination (AI) 24 and 30 h after hCG and EB injection, respectively. Follicular dynamics in Girolando heifers was characterized by the predominance of three follicular waves (71.4%) with sizes of dominant follicles (10-13 mm) and corpus luteum (approximately 20 mm) similar to those for Bos indicus cattle. In the GnRH-PGF-hCG protocol, hCG administration induced earlier ovulation (67.4 h, P<0.01) compared to the control group (GnRH-PGF) and a better synchronization of ovulation, since most of it occurred within a period of 12 to 17 h. Pregnancy rate after timed AI was 42.8 (3/7, GPh-d6) to 50% (7/14, GPh-d7). In contrast, estradiol benzoate (GnRH-PGF-EB protocol) synchronized ovulation of only 5 of 11 heifers from the GPE-d7 group and of none (0/7) from the GPE-d6 group, which led to low pregnancy rates after timed AI (27.3 and 0%, respectively). However, since a small number of Girolando heifers was used to determine pregnancy rates in the present study, pregnancy rates should be confirmed with a larger number of animals.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the bovine genome are associated with the number of oocytes collected during ovum pick up

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Efeito do grupo genético e heterose na terminação de vacas de descarte em confinamento

O experimento teve como objetivo avaliar, durante a fase de terminação, o peso, o consumo alimentar, o ganho de peso e a conversão alimentar de vacas de descarte, puras (Charolês-C e Nelore-N) e cruzadas F1 ( ½ CN e ½ NC), bem como medir a heterose resultante. As vacas foram confinadas por um período de 80 dias, sendo todas alimentadas com a mesma dieta, contendo 10% de proteína bruta e uma relação volumoso:concentrado de 65:35. Vacas F1 foram mais pesadas no início (402 vs 362 kg) e no final do confinamento (524 vs 475 kg), sendo a heterose de 11,05 e 10,31%, respectivamente. O ganho de peso médio diário das vacas F1 (1,557 kg) foi similar ao das puras (1,424 kg). O consumo voluntário de matéria seca (CMS) em kg/animal/dia (CMSD) foi 11,26% superior nas vacas F1 em relação às puras. No entanto, ao expressar o CMS por unidade de peso metabólico (CMSM) e por 100 kg de peso vivo (CMSP), a diferença decresceu para 3,25 e 3,57%, respectivamente, e deixou de ser significativa. Vacas C foram mais pesadas e apresentaram maior ganho de peso médio diário que vacas N (1,554 contra 1,294 kg). Vacas ½ CN foram mais pesadas e mais eficientes na transformação de alimentos em ganho de peso que vacas ½ NC.

Desempenho produtivo de vacas de quatro grupos genéticos submetidas a diferentes manejos alimentares desmamadas aos 42 ou 63 dias pós-parto

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Desempenho de bezerros de corte filhos de vacas submetidas a diferentes manejos alimentares, desmamados aos 42 ou 63 dias de idade

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Qualidade e composição química da carne de bovinos de corte inteiros ou castrados de diferentes grupos genéticos Charolês x Nelore

Seventy beef males of three breeding systems (BS), straightbreds Charolais (Ch) and Nellore (Ne), G1 crossbreds: 1/2 Ch + 1/2 Ne (1/2 Ch) and 1/2 Ne + 1/2 Ch (1/2 Ne) and G2 crossbreds: 3/4 Ch + 1/4 Ne (3/4 Ch) and 3/4 Ne + 1/4 Ch (3/4 Ne) were used. The number of animals by genetic group was, respectively, 15, 12,8, 12,14 and 9. Thirty-five males were castrated (C) at seven months and 35 were kept intact (1). The animals were feedlot finished from 20 to 24 months. The longissimus dorsi muscle was used for the meat evaluation. No significant interaction was observed between genetic composition and sexual condition, for the variables studied. The I males displayed meat with darker color (3.05 vs. 3.78 points) with less amount of marbling (4.26 vs. 5.75 points) and less amount of ether extract (1.73 vs. 2.88%). However they presented larger (66.03 vs. 60.50 cm(2)) longissimus dorsi area and meat with better palatability, juiciness and tenderness. Ch animals had larger longissimus dorsi than the Ne. In the G I group, the 1/2 Ch meat showed larger amount of marbling and ether extract and less cooking losses than the 1/2 Ne meat. Between G2 animals, the 3/4 Ne showed meat with larger thawing losses and larger amount of ether extract. In G1 animals meat, the heterosis level reached 18.54% for longissimus dorsiarea, 28.10% for ether extract and 64.01% for amount of marbling. In G2, the heterosis was -17.30% for lean texture and 10.40% for longissimus dorsi area.

Condição imunológica de bovinos das raças Holandesa e Nelore frente a Babesia bovis e B. bigemina em duas regiões do Estado de São Paulo

The immunological reply of a population to an infectious agent can vary between races and handling of this population. Regional research becomes important, in order to know the interrelation between the agent and its host. In this way, the occurrence of immunoglobulins of class G, anti-Babesia bovis and anti-Babesia bigemina in the Nelore (Bos indicus) and Hostein breed (Bos taurus), was investigated in two regions of the State of São Paulo, 300 km distant from each other. For the indirect method of ELISA, 1, 161 bovine serum samples were tested. The medium frequencies of antibodies showed that in the two regions exists an enzootic stability for B. bovis in both breeds studied; even so there was a tendency of marginal area for the Nelore breed in one of the regions. Regarding B. bigemina, in both regions exists enzootic stability for the Hostein and enzootic instability for the Nelore breed. Therefore, acute cases of the disease or specific outbreaks by B. bigemina infection in the Nelore breed may occur in these regions.

On the Origin of Cattle: How Aurochs Became Cattle and Colonized the World

Since their domestication in the Neolithic, cattle have belonged to our cultural heritage. The reconstruction of their history is an active field of research 1 that contributes to our understanding of human history. Archeological data are now supplemented by analyses of modern and ancient samples of cattle with DNA markers of maternal, paternal, or autosomal inheritance. The most recent genetic data suggest that maternal lineages of taurine cattle originated in the Fertile Crescent with a possible contribution of South-European wild cattle populations, while zebu cattle originate from the Indus Valley. Subsequently, cattle accompanied human migrations, which led to the dispersal of domestic cattle of taurine, indicine, or mixed origin over Asia, Africa, Europe, and the New World. This has resulted in their adaptation to different environments and considerable variation in appearance and performance. More recently, rational management of breeding led to international movements of sires, which again changed the global patterns of genetic diversity.

An Innovative Crop-Forage Intercrop System: Early Cycle Soybean Cultivars and Palisadegrass

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Degradabilidade ruminal do amido de silagem de milho, farelo de soja e sorgo grão, em bovinos da raça Nelore

Four Bos indicus (Nellore) ruminally-fistulated animals, averaging 36 months of age and 520 kg, were used in a randomized block design to study the ruminal degradability of starch in corn silage, soybean meal, and sorghum grain. The experimental diets consisted of two levels of concentrate (18 and 39%) plus corn silage. The concentrate ingredients used were soybean meal, cottonseed meal, corn grain, and sorghum grain. The degradation rate of sorghum grain increased 40.2% in diet 2 . The potential degradability of starch (PDS) was similar in the two diets. There was no difference between the two diets in the effective degradability of starch (EDS) in corn silage. There was a significant increase of 26.5% in the EDS of starch in sorghum grain with the increase of level of concentrate in the diet, and considering the lag time in the calculation. The starch level estimated in this study was lower than the values cited in the literature, probably due to different laboratory methods for determining the starch content in feedstuffs. Previous studies suggested using a minimum of 6 incubation intervals between 2 and 24 hours.

Estimativas de parâmetros genéticos e fenotípicos para características de crescimento até a desmama em bovinos da raça Canchim

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Estimates of direct and maternal genetic effects for weights from birth to 600 days of age in Nelore cattle

Estimates of direct and maternal variance and heritability for weights at each week (up to 280 days of age) and month of age (up to 600 days of age) in Zebu cattle are presented. More than one million records on 200 000 animals, weighed every 90 days from birth to 2 years of age, were available. Data were split according to week (data sets 1) or month (data sets 2) of age at recording, creating 54 and 21 data sets, respectively. The model of analysis included contemporary groups as fixed effects, and age of dam (linear and quadratic) and age of calf (linear) effects as covariables. Random effects fitted were additive direct and maternal genetic effects, and maternal permanent environmental effect. Direct heritability estimates decreased from 0.28 at birth, to 0.12-0.13 at about 150 days of age, stayed more or less constant at 0.14-0.16 until 270 days of age and increased with age after that, up to 0.25-0.26. Maternal heritability estimates increased from birth (0.01) to a peak of 0.14 for data sets 1 and 0.07-0.08 for data sets 2 at about 180-210 days of age, before decreasing slowly to 0.07 and 0.05, respectively, at 300 days, and then rapidly diminished after 300 days of age. Permanent environmental effects were 1.5 to four times higher than genetic maternal effects and showed a similar trend.

Metano entérico de bovinos leiteiros em condições tropicais brasileiras

The objective of this work was to quantify methane (CH4) emission using the sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) tracer technique, by dairy cattle on pasture in Brazilian tropical field conditions. Measurements were performed in the rainy season, with Holstein and Holstein x Zebu crossbred, from lactating and dry cows and heifers grazing fertilized Tobiatã grass, and heifers grazing unfertilized Brachiaria grass. Methane and SF6 concentrations were determined by gas chromatograph. Methane emissions by lactating cows varied from 13.8 to 16.8 g/hour, by dry cows from 11.6 to 12.3 g/hour, by heifers grazing fertilized grass was 9.5 g/hour and by heifers grazing unfertilized grass varied from 7.6 to 8.3 g/hour or 66 to 72 kg/head/year. Methane emission per digestive dry matter intake (DMDI) varied from 42 to 69 g/kg DMDI for lactating cows, 46 to 56 g/kg for dry cows, 45 to 58 g/kg for heifers grazing fertilized grass and 58 to 62 g/kg for heifers in unfertilized grass pasture. The CH4 emission measured on dairy cattle feeding tropical grasses was higher than that observed for temperate climate conditions.