TY - JOUR
T1 - Molecular markers for thermo-tolerance are associated with reproductive and physiological traits in Pelibuey ewes raised in a semiarid environment
AU - Castillo-Salas, Candelario A.
AU - Luna-Nevárez, Guillermo
AU - Reyna-Granados, Javier R.
AU - Luna-Ramirez, Rosa I.
AU - Limesand, Sean W.
AU - Luna-Nevárez, Pablo
N1 - Funding Information:
This project was funded by PROFAPI-ITSON Grant Programs (2020, 2021), Mexico and The University of Arizona NIFA Multi State Project W3112, United States .
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2023/2
Y1 - 2023/2
N2 - Pelibuey sheep exhibit reproductive activity through the year, but warm weather lowers their fertility and demonstrates physiological limitations of environmental heat stress. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with heat stress tolerance in sheep have been reported previously. The objective was to validate the association of seven thermo-tolerance SNP markers with reproductive and physiological traits in Pelibuey ewes raised in a semiarid region. Pelibuey ewes were assigned to a cool (January 1st.– March 31st.; n = 101) or warm (April 1st.– August 31st.; n = 104) experimental group. All ewes were exposed to fertile rams and assessed for pregnancy diagnosis 90 days later; lambing day was reported at birth. These data served to calculate the reproductive traits of services per conception, prolificacy, days to estrus, days to conception, conception rate and lambing rate. Rectal temperature, rump/leg skin temperature and respiratory rate were measured and reported as physiological traits. Blood samples were collected and processed to extract DNA, which was genotyped using the TaqMan allelic discrimination method and qPCR. A mixed effects statistical model was used to validate associations between SNP genotypes and phenotypic traits. The SNPs rs421873172, rs417581105 and rs407804467 were confirmed as markers associated with reproductive and physiological traits (P < 0.05), and these SNPs were in the genes PAM, STAT1 and FBXO11, respectively. Interestingly, these SNP markers resulted as predictors for the evaluated traits but only in ewes from the warm group, which indicated their association with heat-stress tolerance. An additive SNP effect was confirmed with the highest contribution (P < 0.01) of the SNP rs417581105 for the evaluated traits. Reproductive performance improved (P < 0.05) and physiological parameters decreased in ewes carrying favorable SNP genotypes. In conclusion, three thermo-tolerance SNP markers were associated with improved reproductive and physiological traits in a prospective population of heat-stressed ewes raised in a semiarid environment.
AB - Pelibuey sheep exhibit reproductive activity through the year, but warm weather lowers their fertility and demonstrates physiological limitations of environmental heat stress. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with heat stress tolerance in sheep have been reported previously. The objective was to validate the association of seven thermo-tolerance SNP markers with reproductive and physiological traits in Pelibuey ewes raised in a semiarid region. Pelibuey ewes were assigned to a cool (January 1st.– March 31st.; n = 101) or warm (April 1st.– August 31st.; n = 104) experimental group. All ewes were exposed to fertile rams and assessed for pregnancy diagnosis 90 days later; lambing day was reported at birth. These data served to calculate the reproductive traits of services per conception, prolificacy, days to estrus, days to conception, conception rate and lambing rate. Rectal temperature, rump/leg skin temperature and respiratory rate were measured and reported as physiological traits. Blood samples were collected and processed to extract DNA, which was genotyped using the TaqMan allelic discrimination method and qPCR. A mixed effects statistical model was used to validate associations between SNP genotypes and phenotypic traits. The SNPs rs421873172, rs417581105 and rs407804467 were confirmed as markers associated with reproductive and physiological traits (P < 0.05), and these SNPs were in the genes PAM, STAT1 and FBXO11, respectively. Interestingly, these SNP markers resulted as predictors for the evaluated traits but only in ewes from the warm group, which indicated their association with heat-stress tolerance. An additive SNP effect was confirmed with the highest contribution (P < 0.01) of the SNP rs417581105 for the evaluated traits. Reproductive performance improved (P < 0.05) and physiological parameters decreased in ewes carrying favorable SNP genotypes. In conclusion, three thermo-tolerance SNP markers were associated with improved reproductive and physiological traits in a prospective population of heat-stressed ewes raised in a semiarid environment.
KW - Heat-stress
KW - Reproduction
KW - SNPs
KW - Thermo-tolerance
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103475
DO - 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103475
M3 - Article
C2 - 36796920
AN - SCOPUS:85146173703
SN - 0306-4565
VL - 112
JO - Journal of Thermal Biology
JF - Journal of Thermal Biology
M1 - 103475
ER -