Phenotypic and Genetic Analyses of In Vitro Embryo Production Traits in Chinese Holstein Cattle
Ovum pick up and in vitro embryo production (OPU-IVEP) is an essential technique in the dairy industry. The production efficiency of OPU-IVEP is significantly influenced by various factors, and phenotypic and genetic characteristics are highly variable in different populations. The objectives of thi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-11-01
|
| Series: | Animals |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/22/3539 |
| _version_ | 1797460432710008832 |
|---|---|
| author | Yuechuan Huang Hailiang Zhang Cheng Mei Minglu Yang Shanjiang Zhao Huabin Zhu Yachun Wang |
| author_facet | Yuechuan Huang Hailiang Zhang Cheng Mei Minglu Yang Shanjiang Zhao Huabin Zhu Yachun Wang |
| author_sort | Yuechuan Huang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ovum pick up and in vitro embryo production (OPU-IVEP) is an essential technique in the dairy industry. The production efficiency of OPU-IVEP is significantly influenced by various factors, and phenotypic and genetic characteristics are highly variable in different populations. The objectives of this study were (1) to reveal the phenotypic characteristics, including population distribution, and impacts of donor age and month on in vitro embryo production and (2) to estimate genetic parameters for five in vitro embryo production traits in Chinese Holstein cattle. A total of 7311 OPU-IVEP records of 867 Holstein heifers from August 2021 to March 2023 were collected in this study. Five in vitro embryo production traits were defined, including the number of cumulus–oocyte complexes (NCOC), the number of cleaved embryos (NCLV), the number of grade I embryos (NGE), and the proportion of NCLV to NCOC (PCLV) and NGE to NCOC (PGE). A univariate repeatability animal model was employed to estimate heritability and repeatability, and a bivariate repeatability animal model was employed to estimate the genetic correlations among five in vitro embryo production traits. It was found that the in vitro embryo production traits were significantly influenced by season, as the NGE and PGE were significantly decreased from June to August. In addition, the production efficiency of OPU-IVEP was also influenced by donor age. On the observed scale, the estimates of heritability were 0.33 for NCOC, 0.24 for NCLV, 0.16 for NGE, 0.06 for PCLV, and 0.10 for PGE, respectively. On the log-transformed scale, the estimates of heritability of NCOC, NCLV, and NGE were 0.34, 0.18, and 0.13. The genetic correlations among NCOC, NCLV, and NGE ranged from 0.61 (NCLV and NGE) to 0.95 (NCOC and NCLV), considering both scales. However, there were low genetic correlations between NCOC and proportion traits (PCLV and PGE) on both the observed scale and the log-transformed scale. In the end, the variation in Chinese Holstein cattle was found to be considerable. The EBV value and average NCOC, NGE, and PGE for the top 10% donors presented extreme differences to those for the bottom 10% donors for NCOC (24.02 versus 2.60), NGE (3.42 versus 0.36), and PGE (30.54% versus 3.46%). Overall, the results of this study reveal that in vitro embryo production traits are heritable with low to high heritability, and the count traits (NCOC, NCLV, and NGE) and proportion traits (PCLV and PGE) reflect different aspects of in vitro embryo production and should be incorporated into genetic selection for improving the embryo production efficiency of dairy cattle. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:05:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e3419a8368ab4b478fe42d1b77e7438f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:05:55Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-e3419a8368ab4b478fe42d1b77e7438f2023-11-24T14:24:54ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152023-11-011322353910.3390/ani13223539Phenotypic and Genetic Analyses of In Vitro Embryo Production Traits in Chinese Holstein CattleYuechuan Huang0Hailiang Zhang1Cheng Mei2Minglu Yang3Shanjiang Zhao4Huabin Zhu5Yachun Wang6State Key Laboratory of Farm Animal Biotech Breeding, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproductive of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Farm Animal Biotech Breeding, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproductive of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, ChinaDongying Auatasia Modern Animal Husbandry Co., Ltd., Dongying 257300, ChinaDongying Auatasia Modern Animal Husbandry Co., Ltd., Dongying 257300, ChinaInstitute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, ChinaInstitute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Farm Animal Biotech Breeding, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproductive of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, ChinaOvum pick up and in vitro embryo production (OPU-IVEP) is an essential technique in the dairy industry. The production efficiency of OPU-IVEP is significantly influenced by various factors, and phenotypic and genetic characteristics are highly variable in different populations. The objectives of this study were (1) to reveal the phenotypic characteristics, including population distribution, and impacts of donor age and month on in vitro embryo production and (2) to estimate genetic parameters for five in vitro embryo production traits in Chinese Holstein cattle. A total of 7311 OPU-IVEP records of 867 Holstein heifers from August 2021 to March 2023 were collected in this study. Five in vitro embryo production traits were defined, including the number of cumulus–oocyte complexes (NCOC), the number of cleaved embryos (NCLV), the number of grade I embryos (NGE), and the proportion of NCLV to NCOC (PCLV) and NGE to NCOC (PGE). A univariate repeatability animal model was employed to estimate heritability and repeatability, and a bivariate repeatability animal model was employed to estimate the genetic correlations among five in vitro embryo production traits. It was found that the in vitro embryo production traits were significantly influenced by season, as the NGE and PGE were significantly decreased from June to August. In addition, the production efficiency of OPU-IVEP was also influenced by donor age. On the observed scale, the estimates of heritability were 0.33 for NCOC, 0.24 for NCLV, 0.16 for NGE, 0.06 for PCLV, and 0.10 for PGE, respectively. On the log-transformed scale, the estimates of heritability of NCOC, NCLV, and NGE were 0.34, 0.18, and 0.13. The genetic correlations among NCOC, NCLV, and NGE ranged from 0.61 (NCLV and NGE) to 0.95 (NCOC and NCLV), considering both scales. However, there were low genetic correlations between NCOC and proportion traits (PCLV and PGE) on both the observed scale and the log-transformed scale. In the end, the variation in Chinese Holstein cattle was found to be considerable. The EBV value and average NCOC, NGE, and PGE for the top 10% donors presented extreme differences to those for the bottom 10% donors for NCOC (24.02 versus 2.60), NGE (3.42 versus 0.36), and PGE (30.54% versus 3.46%). Overall, the results of this study reveal that in vitro embryo production traits are heritable with low to high heritability, and the count traits (NCOC, NCLV, and NGE) and proportion traits (PCLV and PGE) reflect different aspects of in vitro embryo production and should be incorporated into genetic selection for improving the embryo production efficiency of dairy cattle.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/22/3539in vitro embryo productionHolstein cattlephenotypic analysisgenetic parameters |
| spellingShingle | Yuechuan Huang Hailiang Zhang Cheng Mei Minglu Yang Shanjiang Zhao Huabin Zhu Yachun Wang Phenotypic and Genetic Analyses of In Vitro Embryo Production Traits in Chinese Holstein Cattle Animals in vitro embryo production Holstein cattle phenotypic analysis genetic parameters |
| title | Phenotypic and Genetic Analyses of In Vitro Embryo Production Traits in Chinese Holstein Cattle |
| title_full | Phenotypic and Genetic Analyses of In Vitro Embryo Production Traits in Chinese Holstein Cattle |
| title_fullStr | Phenotypic and Genetic Analyses of In Vitro Embryo Production Traits in Chinese Holstein Cattle |
| title_full_unstemmed | Phenotypic and Genetic Analyses of In Vitro Embryo Production Traits in Chinese Holstein Cattle |
| title_short | Phenotypic and Genetic Analyses of In Vitro Embryo Production Traits in Chinese Holstein Cattle |
| title_sort | phenotypic and genetic analyses of in vitro embryo production traits in chinese holstein cattle |
| topic | in vitro embryo production Holstein cattle phenotypic analysis genetic parameters |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/22/3539 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yuechuanhuang phenotypicandgeneticanalysesofinvitroembryoproductiontraitsinchineseholsteincattle AT hailiangzhang phenotypicandgeneticanalysesofinvitroembryoproductiontraitsinchineseholsteincattle AT chengmei phenotypicandgeneticanalysesofinvitroembryoproductiontraitsinchineseholsteincattle AT mingluyang phenotypicandgeneticanalysesofinvitroembryoproductiontraitsinchineseholsteincattle AT shanjiangzhao phenotypicandgeneticanalysesofinvitroembryoproductiontraitsinchineseholsteincattle AT huabinzhu phenotypicandgeneticanalysesofinvitroembryoproductiontraitsinchineseholsteincattle AT yachunwang phenotypicandgeneticanalysesofinvitroembryoproductiontraitsinchineseholsteincattle |