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Effects of ignoring inbreeding in model-based accuracy for BLUP and SSGBLUP
RiuNet. Repositorio Institucional de la Universitat Politécnica de Valéncia
- Aguilar, Ignacio
- Fernandez, Eduardo N.
- Blasco Mateu, Agustín|||0000-0003-3558-0810
- Ravagnolo, Olga
- Legarra, Andres
[EN] Model-based accuracy, defined as the theoretical correlation between true and estimated breeding value, can be obtained for each individual as a function of its prediction error variance (PEV) and inbreeding coefficient F, in BLUP, GBLUP and SSGBLUP genetic evaluations. However, for computational convenience, inbreeding is often ignored in two places. First, in the computation of reliability = 1-PEV/(1 + F). Second, in the set-up, using Henderson's rules, of the inverse of the pedigree-based relationship matrix A. Both approximations have an effect in the computation of model-based accuracy and result in wrong values. In this work, first we present a reminder of the theory and extend it to SSGBLUP. Second, we quantify the error of ignoring inbreeding with real data in three scenarios: BLUP evaluation and SSGBLUP in Uruguayan dairy cattle, and BLUP evaluations in a line of rabbit closed for >40 generations with steady increase of inbreeding up to an average of 0.30. We show that ignoring inbreeding in the set-up of the A-inverse is equivalent to assume that non-inbred animals are actually inbred. This results in an increase of apparent PEV that is negligible for dairy cattle but considerable for rabbit. Ignoring inbreeding in reliability = 1-PEV/(1 + F) leads to underestimation of reliability for BLUP evaluations, and this underestimation is very large for rabbit. For SSGBLUP in dairy cattle, it leads to both underestimation and overestimation of reliability, both for genotyped and non-genotyped animals. We strongly recommend to include inbreeding both in the set-up of A-inverse and in the computation of reliability from PEVs., FEDER; INRA; Universidad Nacional de Lomas de Zamora; European Unions' Horizon 2020 Research & Innovation Programme, Grant/Award Number: No772787
Proyecto: European Commission/H2020/772787
Milk transcriptome analysis identifies genes and pathways affecting feed efficiency in dairy ewes
Digital.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
- Franco, M.
- Toral, Pablo G.
- Esteban-Blanco, Cristina
- Gutiérrez Gil, Beatriz
- Hervás, Gonzalo
- Arranz, Juan José
- Frutos, Pilar
- Suárez-Vega, Aroa
Resumen de la Comunicación Oral presentada al: 71st Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science (EAAP). Farming for carbon neutral livestock systems. 1-4 de diciembre. Virtual meeting (2020)., Projects EUSMARTER & JCyL CSI276P18, FEDER and ESF.
Proyecto: EC/H2020/772787
Milk transcriptome analysis to elucidate the impact of prepuberal nutrition in dairy ewes residual feed intake
Digital.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
- Suárez-Vega, A.
- Gutiérrez-Gil, Beatriz
- Hervás, Gonzalo
- Marina, H.
- Pelayo, R.
- Toral, Pablo G.
- Esteban Blanco, C.
- Frutos, Pilar
- Arranz, J.J.
5 páginas, 1 figura.--Trabajo presentado al: 12th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production (WCGALP), R.F. Veerkamp and Y. de Haas (Eds), Wageningen Academic Publishers (Holanda), #705, pages 2909-2912. Róterdam (Holanda). 3-8 de julio de 2022., Prepubertal nutrition has been proposed as an important factor for feed efficiency and milk
production in later life. Moreover, nutritional restrictions during prepubertal mammary gland
development may influence the milk production potential. This study aims to evaluate the
potential impact of a nutritional challenge during the allometric growth of the mammary gland
on the milk transcriptome of dairy ewes with different feed efficiency phenotypes. The
differential expression analyses identified 29 genes whose expression was significantly
different for feed efficiency and relevant regarding the nutritional challenge. Eight differentially
expressed genes were clustered under the biological process “cell adhesion”. Molecules
involved in cell adhesion are crucial in the proper development and function of the mammary
gland. In conclusion, the main genes impacted by the nutritional challenge and showing a
different expression pattern related to feed efficiency could be involved in the development of
the proper architecture of the mammary gland parenchyma., This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and
innovation program under grant agreement No 772787 (SMARTER)., Peer reviewed
production in later life. Moreover, nutritional restrictions during prepubertal mammary gland
development may influence the milk production potential. This study aims to evaluate the
potential impact of a nutritional challenge during the allometric growth of the mammary gland
on the milk transcriptome of dairy ewes with different feed efficiency phenotypes. The
differential expression analyses identified 29 genes whose expression was significantly
different for feed efficiency and relevant regarding the nutritional challenge. Eight differentially
expressed genes were clustered under the biological process “cell adhesion”. Molecules
involved in cell adhesion are crucial in the proper development and function of the mammary
gland. In conclusion, the main genes impacted by the nutritional challenge and showing a
different expression pattern related to feed efficiency could be involved in the development of
the proper architecture of the mammary gland parenchyma., This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and
innovation program under grant agreement No 772787 (SMARTER)., Peer reviewed
Proyecto: EC/H2020/772787
Using milk fatty acids as biomarkers to improve feed conversion ratio in dairy sheep
Digital.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
- Marina, H.
- Hervás, Gonzalo
- Pelayo, R.
- Toral, Pablo G.
- Suárez-Vega, A.
- Gutiérrez-Gil, Beatriz
- Esteban Blanco, C.
- Frutos, Pilar
- Arranz, J.J
5 páginas, 1 tabla, 1 figura.-- Trabajo presentado al: 12th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production (WCGALP), R.F. Veerkamp and Y. de Haas (Eds), Wageningen Academic Publishers (Holanda), #717, pages 2956-2959. Róterdam (Holanda). 3-8 de julio de 2022., Feed costs constitute a substantial portion of livestock production costs; therefore, improving
feed efficiency (FE) is a major research topic nowadays. However, obtaining individual FE
records in commercial populations requires specialized infrastructure. This research aimed to
study the association between milk fatty acids (MFA) and FE in Assaf dairy sheep to
determine potential MFA biomarkers for FE. Individual feed conversion ratio (FCR) of 39
ewes were estimated. Spearman correlation, regression, and orthogonal partial least squares
were then used to analyze the relationship between FE and a profile of 101 MFA. We
identified 33 MFA significantly associated with the FCR. These MFAs achieved a predictive
performance of 0.82 for the FCR, and were successfully used to identify the most and least
feed efficient animals. Thus, we propose a list of potential biomarkers to validate as an easyto-
measure phenotype for FE trait in a larger population., This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and
innovation program under grant agreement No 772787 (SMARTER)., Peer reviewed
feed efficiency (FE) is a major research topic nowadays. However, obtaining individual FE
records in commercial populations requires specialized infrastructure. This research aimed to
study the association between milk fatty acids (MFA) and FE in Assaf dairy sheep to
determine potential MFA biomarkers for FE. Individual feed conversion ratio (FCR) of 39
ewes were estimated. Spearman correlation, regression, and orthogonal partial least squares
were then used to analyze the relationship between FE and a profile of 101 MFA. We
identified 33 MFA significantly associated with the FCR. These MFAs achieved a predictive
performance of 0.82 for the FCR, and were successfully used to identify the most and least
feed efficient animals. Thus, we propose a list of potential biomarkers to validate as an easyto-
measure phenotype for FE trait in a larger population., This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and
innovation program under grant agreement No 772787 (SMARTER)., Peer reviewed
Proyecto: EC/H2020/772787
Changes in Allele Frequencies When Different Genomic Coancestry Matrices Are Used for Maintaining Genetic Diversity
Digital.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
- Morales-González, Elisabeth
- Fernández, Jesús
- Pong-Wong, Ricardo
- Toro, Miguel Ángel
- Villanueva, Beatriz
A main objective in conservation programs is to maintain genetic variability. This can be achieved using the Optimal Contributions (OC) method that optimizes the contributions of candidates to the next generation by minimizing the global coancestry. However, it has been argued that maintaining allele frequencies is also important. Different genomic coancestry matrices can be used on OC and the choice of the matrix will have an impact not only on the genetic variability maintained, but also on the change in allele frequencies. The objective of this study was to evaluate, through stochastic simulations, the genetic variability maintained and the trajectory of allele frequencies when using two different genomic coancestry matrices in OC to minimize the loss of diversity: (i) the matrix based on deviations of the observed number of alleles shared between two individuals from the expected numbers under Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (θLH); and (ii) the matrix based on VanRaden's genomic relationship matrix (θVR). The results indicate that the use of θLH resulted in a higher genetic variability than the use of θVR. However, the use of θVR maintained allele frequencies closer to those in the base population than the use of θLH., The research leading to these results has received funding from the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Spain (grant CGL2016-75904-C2-2-P). R. Pong-Wong is funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Grant Agreement n◦772787 (SMARTER) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council through Institute Strategic Programme Grant funding (BBS/E/D/30002275)., Peer reviewed
DOI: http://hdl.handle.net/10261/283757, https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85105427797
Dataset: Relationship between feed efficiency and resilience in dairy ewes subjected to acute underfeeding
Digital.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
- Barrio, Esther
- Hervás, Gonzalo
- Gindri, Marcelo
- Friggens, Nicolas C.
- Toral, Pablo G.
- Frutos, Pilar
This work forms part of the PID2020-113441RB-I00 project, funded by the Spanish Research State Agency (MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033). The preliminary phase of the study (for feed efficiency estimation) was funded by the SMARTER project through the Horizon 2020 research and innovation program of the European Commission (Grant Agreement No. 772787). E. Barrio benefited from a FPI predoctoral contract (PRE2021-098235) funded by the Spanish Research State Agency (MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033) and by the European Social Fund (“ESF Investing in your future”)., Peer reviewed
Influence of a temporary restriction of dietary protein in prepubertal ewe lambs on first lactation milk traits and response to a mammary gland inflammatory challenge
Digital.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
- Pelayo, R.
- Marina, H.
- Suárez Vega, A.
- Hervás, Gonzalo
- Esteban-Blanco, C.
- Gausseres, B.
- Foucras, G.
- Arranz, J. J.
- Gutiérrez-Gil, Beatriz
9 páginas, 3 figuras, 2 tablas., This study evaluated the influence of a temporary nutritional protein restriction (NPR) performed, under commercial conditions, in prepubertal female lambs on first lactation milk production traits and the inflammatory response triggered by an inflammatory challenge of the. From 40 Assaf female lambs, we defined a control group (C n = 20), which received a standard diet for replacement lambs and the NPR group (n = 20), which received the same diet but without soybean meal between 3 and 5 months of age. About 150 days after lambing, 24 of these ewes (13 NPR, 11C) were subjected to an intramammary infusion of E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Our dynamic study identified indicator traits of local (SCC) and systemic (rectal Ta, IL-6, CXCL8, IL-10, IL-36RA, VEGF-A) response to the LPS challenge. The NPR did not show significant effects on milk production traits and did not affect the SCC and rectal Ta after the LPS challenge. However, the NPR had a significant influence on 8 of the 14 plasma biomarkers analysed, in all the cases with higher relative values in the C group. The effects observed on VEGF-A (involved in vasculogenesis during mammary gland development and vascular permeability) and IL-10 (a regulatory cytokine classically known by its anti-inflammatory action) are the most remarkable to explain the differences found between groups. Whereas further studies should be undertaken to confirm these results, our findings are of interest considering the current concern about the future world's demand for protein and the need for animal production systems to evolve toward sustainability., The nutritional and inflammatory challenge experiments and the sample collection described in this study were funded by the SMARTER project through the Horizon 2020 research and innovation program of the European Commission (Grant Agreement No. 772787). The cytokine/interleukine panel analyses were funded by the Spanish national project EPIMILKSHEEP (Ref. RTI2018–093535-B-I00), funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation., Peer reviewed
Feed efficiency in dairy sheep: An insight from the milk transcriptome
Digital.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
- Suárez-Vega, Aroa
- Frutos, Pilar
- Gutiérrez Gil, Beatriz
- Esteban-Blanco, C.
- Toral, Pablo G.
- Arranz, Juan José
- Hervás, Gonzalo
10 páginas, 1 tabla, 2 figuras., As higher feed efficiency in dairy ruminants means a higher
capability to transform feed nutrients into milk and milk components, dierences
in feed efficiency are expected to be partly linked to changes in the physiology
of the mammary glands. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the biological
functions and key regulatory genes associated with feed efficiency in dairy sheep
using the milk somatic cell transcriptom, This research was funded by the Junta de Castilla y León
(JCyL, Spain; project CSI276P18) and the Spanish Research
State Agency (Agencia Estatal de Investigación, Spain; project
PID2020-113441RB-I00 and MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033).
Cofunding by the European Regional Development Fund
(ERDF/FEDER) is also acknowledged. Research activities for the
University of Leon were funded by the SMARTER project through
the H2020 research and innovation program of the European
Commission (Grant Agreement No. 772787)., Peer reviewed
capability to transform feed nutrients into milk and milk components, dierences
in feed efficiency are expected to be partly linked to changes in the physiology
of the mammary glands. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the biological
functions and key regulatory genes associated with feed efficiency in dairy sheep
using the milk somatic cell transcriptom, This research was funded by the Junta de Castilla y León
(JCyL, Spain; project CSI276P18) and the Spanish Research
State Agency (Agencia Estatal de Investigación, Spain; project
PID2020-113441RB-I00 and MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033).
Cofunding by the European Regional Development Fund
(ERDF/FEDER) is also acknowledged. Research activities for the
University of Leon were funded by the SMARTER project through
the H2020 research and innovation program of the European
Commission (Grant Agreement No. 772787)., Peer reviewed
Relación entre la eficiencia y la resiliencia en ovejas lecheras sometidas a un reto nutricional agudo: 1) Producción de leche
Digital.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
- Barrio, Esther
- Hervás, Gonzalo
- Gindri, M.
- Friggens, N.C.
- Della Badia, Antonella
- Toral, Pablo G.
- Frutos, Pilar
Trabajo presentado a las: XX Jornadas sobre Producción Animal AIDA, p. 144. 13-14 junio. Zaragoza (España)., Proyectos PID2020-113441RB-I00 (MCIN/AEI, España) y SMARTER (H2020 #772787,
UE) y contrato predoctoral PRE2021-098235 (MCIN/AEI, España y Fondo Social Europeo)., Peer reviewed
UE) y contrato predoctoral PRE2021-098235 (MCIN/AEI, España y Fondo Social Europeo)., Peer reviewed
Relación entre la eficiencia y la resiliencia en ovejas lecheras sometidas a un reto nutricional agudo: 2) Parámetros sanguíneos
Digital.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
- Barrio, Esther
- Toral, Pablo G.
- Gindri, M.
- Friggens, N.C.
- Mendonza, Alejandro G.
- Hervás, Gonzalo
- Frutos, Pilar
Trabajo presentado a las: XX Jornadas sobre Producción Animal AIDA, p. 145. 13-14 junio. Zaragoza (España)., Proyectos PID2020-113441RB-I00 (MCIN/AEI, España) y SMARTER (H2020 #772787,
UE) y contrato predoctoral PRE2021-098235 (MCIN/AEI, España y Fondo Social Europeo)., Peer reviewed
UE) y contrato predoctoral PRE2021-098235 (MCIN/AEI, España y Fondo Social Europeo)., Peer reviewed
Relación entre la eficiencia y la resiliencia en ovejas lecheras sometidas a un reto nutricional agudo: 3) Ácidos grasos de la leche
Digital.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
- Toral, Pablo G.
- Barrio, Esther
- Della Badia, Antonella
- Hervás, Gonzalo
- Frutos, Pilar
Trabajo presentado a las: XX Jornadas sobre Producción Animal AIDA, p. 167. 13-14 junio. Zaragoza (España)., Proyectos PID2020-113441RB-I00 (MCIN/AEI, España) y SMARTER (H2020 #772787,
UE) y contrato predoctoral PRE2021-098235 (MCIN/AEI, España y Fondo Social Europeo)., Peer reviewed
UE) y contrato predoctoral PRE2021-098235 (MCIN/AEI, España y Fondo Social Europeo)., Peer reviewed
Resilience to acute underfeeding in dairy sheep diverging in feed efficiency: 2) Blood metabolites
Digital.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
- Barrio, Esther
- Hervás, Gonzalo
- Gindri, Marcelo
- Friggens, Nicholas C.
- Toral, Pablo G.
- Frutos, Pilar
Trabajo presentado al: 11th International Symposium on the Nutrition of Herbivores (ISNH), P58. Florianópolis (Brasil). 4-8 de junio., In the current scenario of climate change and economic instability, it can be expected that livestock will increasingly face nutrition-related
challenges. Resilience (understood as the ability of an animal to revert quickly to high production and health status in response to a perturbation)
would therefore be of great importance. However, animal breeding is still focused on higher production or, at best, higher feed
efficiency (FE). Yet, it is uncertain whether improving FE could detrimentally affect resilience, particularly in small dairy ruminants. This
experiment was carried out to examine the relationship between resilience and FE; namely, to compare the variation in some blood
metabolites in dairy ewes phenotypically divergent for FE and subjected to an acute nutritional challenge. First, to estimate FE, we used
40 Assaf ewes fed a TMR ad libitum, and measured individual dry matter intake and milk yield daily over 3 weeks. Feed efficiency was calculated
as the difference between the actual and predicted intake estimated through net energy requirements for maintenance, production
and weight change. Then, after selecting two groups of FE ewes: higher (H-FE; n = 9) and lower (L-FE; n = 9) efficient ewes, they were subjected
to a nutritional challenge. The trial consisted of three periods: the pre-challenge (when animals were fed TMR ad libitum), the challenge
(lasting for 3 days, when the TMR was withdrawn and the ewes were only fed wheat straw) and the post-challenge (lasting for
10 days, when animals were fed again TMR ad libitum). At the end of each period, blood samples were collected (before milking and feed
administration) and the serum was analyzed for glucose, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and b-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) concentrations
during the trial. The data were subjected to repeated measurements analysis, with animals nested within the group. The results showed
that glucose levels tended to be marginally greater in H-FE than L-FE (P = 0.058), and dropped significantly (P < 0.001) due to the underfeeding.
Surprisingly, pre-challenge levels were not recovered on day 10 post-challenge. No differences between groups were detected for
NEFA concentrations, which sharply increased during the straw challenge and showed the lowest values in the post-challenge period
(P < 0.001). Regarding BHB, higher levels due to feed deprivation were only observed in the H-FE group (Group Period interaction,
P = 0.022). This could derive from a greater tissue mobilization and might have prevented a stronger drop in glycaemia in these more efficient
ewes. Results on blood serum metabolites may suggest that selection for high FE dairy ewes would not negatively influence their
resilience, as more (H-FE) and less (L-FE) efficient ewes responded to and recovered from the acute nutritional challenge similarly, Projects PID2020-113441RB-I00 (MCIN/AEI, Spain) and SMARTER (H2020 #772787, European Union), and predoctoral
grant PRE2021-098235 (MCIN/AEI, Spain)., Peer reviewed
challenges. Resilience (understood as the ability of an animal to revert quickly to high production and health status in response to a perturbation)
would therefore be of great importance. However, animal breeding is still focused on higher production or, at best, higher feed
efficiency (FE). Yet, it is uncertain whether improving FE could detrimentally affect resilience, particularly in small dairy ruminants. This
experiment was carried out to examine the relationship between resilience and FE; namely, to compare the variation in some blood
metabolites in dairy ewes phenotypically divergent for FE and subjected to an acute nutritional challenge. First, to estimate FE, we used
40 Assaf ewes fed a TMR ad libitum, and measured individual dry matter intake and milk yield daily over 3 weeks. Feed efficiency was calculated
as the difference between the actual and predicted intake estimated through net energy requirements for maintenance, production
and weight change. Then, after selecting two groups of FE ewes: higher (H-FE; n = 9) and lower (L-FE; n = 9) efficient ewes, they were subjected
to a nutritional challenge. The trial consisted of three periods: the pre-challenge (when animals were fed TMR ad libitum), the challenge
(lasting for 3 days, when the TMR was withdrawn and the ewes were only fed wheat straw) and the post-challenge (lasting for
10 days, when animals were fed again TMR ad libitum). At the end of each period, blood samples were collected (before milking and feed
administration) and the serum was analyzed for glucose, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and b-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) concentrations
during the trial. The data were subjected to repeated measurements analysis, with animals nested within the group. The results showed
that glucose levels tended to be marginally greater in H-FE than L-FE (P = 0.058), and dropped significantly (P < 0.001) due to the underfeeding.
Surprisingly, pre-challenge levels were not recovered on day 10 post-challenge. No differences between groups were detected for
NEFA concentrations, which sharply increased during the straw challenge and showed the lowest values in the post-challenge period
(P < 0.001). Regarding BHB, higher levels due to feed deprivation were only observed in the H-FE group (Group Period interaction,
P = 0.022). This could derive from a greater tissue mobilization and might have prevented a stronger drop in glycaemia in these more efficient
ewes. Results on blood serum metabolites may suggest that selection for high FE dairy ewes would not negatively influence their
resilience, as more (H-FE) and less (L-FE) efficient ewes responded to and recovered from the acute nutritional challenge similarly, Projects PID2020-113441RB-I00 (MCIN/AEI, Spain) and SMARTER (H2020 #772787, European Union), and predoctoral
grant PRE2021-098235 (MCIN/AEI, Spain)., Peer reviewed
Relationship between feed efficiency and resilience in dairy ewes subjected to acute underfeeding
Digital.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
- Barrio, Esther
- Hervás, Gonzalo
- Gindri, M.
- Friggens, N.C.
- Toral, Pablo G.
- Frutos, Pilar
13 páginas, 6 tablas, 2 figuras., Selection of dairy sheep based on production levels has
caused a loss of rusticity, which might compromise their
future resilience to nutritional challenges. Although
refocusing breeding programs toward improved feed efficiency
(FE) is expected, more-efficient ewes also seem
to be more productive. As a first step to examine the
relationship between FE and resilience in dairy sheep,
in this study we explored the variation in the response
to and the recovery from an acute nutritional challenge
in high-yielding Assaf ewes phenotypically divergent for
FE. First, feed intake, milk yield and composition, and
body weight changes were recorded individually over
a 3-wk period in a total of 40 sheep fed a total mixed
ration (TMR) ad libitum. Data were used to calculate
their FE index (FEI, defined as the difference between
the actual and predicted intake estimated through net
energy requirements for maintenance, production, and
weight change). The highest and lowest FE ewes (H-FE
and L-FE groups, respectively; 10 animals/group) were
selected and then subjected to the nutritional challenge
(i.e., withdrawing the TMR and limiting their diet only
to the consumption of straw for 3 d). Afterward, sheep
were fed again the TMR ad libitum. Temporal patterns
of variation in performance traits, and ruminal fermentation
and blood parameters were examined. A good
consistency between FEI, residual feed intake, and feed
conversion ratio was observed. Results supported that
H-FE were more productive than L-FE sheep at similar
intake level. Average time trends of milk yield generated
by a piecewise model suggest that temporal patterns of
variation in this trait would be related to prechallenge
production level (i.e., H-FE presented quicker response
and recovery than L-FE). Considering all studied traits,
the overall response to and recovery from underfeeding
was apparently similar or even better in H-FE than
in L-FE. This would refute the initial hypothesis of a poorer resilience of more-efficient sheep to an acute
underfeeding. However, the question remains whether a
longer term feed restriction might impair the ability of
H-FE ewes to maintain or revert to a high-production
status, which would require further research., This work forms part of the PID2020-113441RB-I00
project, funded by the Spanish Research State Agency
(MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033). The preliminary
phase of the study (for feed efficiency estimation)
was funded by the SMARTER project through the
Horizon 2020 research and innovation program of the
European Commission (Grant Agreement No. 772787).
E. Barrio benefited from a FPI predoctoral contract (PRE2021-098235) funded by the Spanish Research
State Agency (MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033)
and by the European Social Fund (ESF Investing in
your future). The authors have not stated any conflicts
of interest., Peer reviewed
caused a loss of rusticity, which might compromise their
future resilience to nutritional challenges. Although
refocusing breeding programs toward improved feed efficiency
(FE) is expected, more-efficient ewes also seem
to be more productive. As a first step to examine the
relationship between FE and resilience in dairy sheep,
in this study we explored the variation in the response
to and the recovery from an acute nutritional challenge
in high-yielding Assaf ewes phenotypically divergent for
FE. First, feed intake, milk yield and composition, and
body weight changes were recorded individually over
a 3-wk period in a total of 40 sheep fed a total mixed
ration (TMR) ad libitum. Data were used to calculate
their FE index (FEI, defined as the difference between
the actual and predicted intake estimated through net
energy requirements for maintenance, production, and
weight change). The highest and lowest FE ewes (H-FE
and L-FE groups, respectively; 10 animals/group) were
selected and then subjected to the nutritional challenge
(i.e., withdrawing the TMR and limiting their diet only
to the consumption of straw for 3 d). Afterward, sheep
were fed again the TMR ad libitum. Temporal patterns
of variation in performance traits, and ruminal fermentation
and blood parameters were examined. A good
consistency between FEI, residual feed intake, and feed
conversion ratio was observed. Results supported that
H-FE were more productive than L-FE sheep at similar
intake level. Average time trends of milk yield generated
by a piecewise model suggest that temporal patterns of
variation in this trait would be related to prechallenge
production level (i.e., H-FE presented quicker response
and recovery than L-FE). Considering all studied traits,
the overall response to and recovery from underfeeding
was apparently similar or even better in H-FE than
in L-FE. This would refute the initial hypothesis of a poorer resilience of more-efficient sheep to an acute
underfeeding. However, the question remains whether a
longer term feed restriction might impair the ability of
H-FE ewes to maintain or revert to a high-production
status, which would require further research., This work forms part of the PID2020-113441RB-I00
project, funded by the Spanish Research State Agency
(MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033). The preliminary
phase of the study (for feed efficiency estimation)
was funded by the SMARTER project through the
Horizon 2020 research and innovation program of the
European Commission (Grant Agreement No. 772787).
E. Barrio benefited from a FPI predoctoral contract (PRE2021-098235) funded by the Spanish Research
State Agency (MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033)
and by the European Social Fund (ESF Investing in
your future). The authors have not stated any conflicts
of interest., Peer reviewed
Assessment of milk metabolites as biomarkers for predicting feed efficiency in dairy sheep
Digital.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
- Marina, Héctor
- Arranz, Juan José
- Suárez-Vega, Aroa
- Pelayo, Rocío
- Gutiérrez Gil, Beatriz
- Toral, Pablo G.
- Hervás, Gonzalo
- Frutos, Pilar
- Fonseca, Pablo A.S.
15 páginas, 4 figuras, 3 tablas., Estimating feed efficiency (FE) in dairy sheep is challenging due to the high cost of systems that measure individual feed intake. Identifying proxies that can serve as effective predictors of FE could make it possible to introduce FE into breeding programs. Here, 39 Assaf ewes in first lactation were evaluated regarding their FE by two metrics, residual feed intake (RFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR). The ewes were classified into high, medium and low groups for each metric. Milk samples of the 39 ewes were subjected to untargeted metabolomics analysis. The complete milk metabolomic signature was used to discriminate the FE groups using partial least squares discriminant analysis. A total of 41 and 26 features were selected as the most relevant features for the discrimination of RFI and FCR groups, respectively. The predictive ability when utilizing the complete milk metabolomic signature and the reduced datasets were investigated using four machine-learning algorithms and a multivariate regression method. The Orthogonal Partial Least Square algorithm outperformed other ML algorithms for the FCR prediction in the scenarios using the complete milk metabolite signature (r2=0.62±0.06) and the 26 selected features (0.62±0.15). Regarding RFI predictions, the scenarios using the 41 selected features outperformed the scenario with the complete milk metabolite signature, where the Multilayer feedforward artificial neural network (r2=0.18±0.14) and extreme gradient boosting (r2=0.17±0.15) outperformed other algorithms. The functionality of the selected metabolites implied that the metabolism of glucose, galactose, fructose, sphingolipids, amino acids, insulin, and thyroid hormones was at play. Compared to the use of traditional methods, practical applications of these biomarkers might simplify and reduce costs in selecting feed-efficient ewes., This work has received funding from the European
Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program
under Grant Agreement No. 772787 (SMARTER). Author P. A. S. Fonseca is the beneficiary of a Maria Zambrano Grant of the University of Leon (León, Spain),
funded by the Ministry of Universities (Madrid, Spain)
and financed by the European Union–Next Generation
EU. Supplemental material for this article is available
at https://zenodo.org/record/8154651., Peer reviewed
Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program
under Grant Agreement No. 772787 (SMARTER). Author P. A. S. Fonseca is the beneficiary of a Maria Zambrano Grant of the University of Leon (León, Spain),
funded by the Ministry of Universities (Madrid, Spain)
and financed by the European Union–Next Generation
EU. Supplemental material for this article is available
at https://zenodo.org/record/8154651., Peer reviewed
Proyecto: EC/H2020/772787
Eficiencia y resiliencia en ovejas lecheras: respuesta ante un reto nutricional agudo
Digital.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
- Barrio, Esther
- Hervás, Gonzalo
- Toral, Pablo G.
- Frutos, Pilar
5 páginas, 4 figuras.
Este trabajo se ha publicado en la revista Journal of Dairy Science en abierto y todos los detalles, incluidos los resultados, referencias bibliográficas utilizadas, etc., están disponibles en el enlace https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2022-23174., Proyectos PID2020-113441RB-100 y Smarter, financiados por MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 y la Unión Europea (Horizon 2020; Grant Agreement No. 772787), respectivamente. Contrato predoctoral PRE2021-098235 financiado por MCIN/AEI/10.13039/50110001103 y el Fondo Social Europeo (FSE), Peer reviewed
Este trabajo se ha publicado en la revista Journal of Dairy Science en abierto y todos los detalles, incluidos los resultados, referencias bibliográficas utilizadas, etc., están disponibles en el enlace https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2022-23174., Proyectos PID2020-113441RB-100 y Smarter, financiados por MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 y la Unión Europea (Horizon 2020; Grant Agreement No. 772787), respectivamente. Contrato predoctoral PRE2021-098235 financiado por MCIN/AEI/10.13039/50110001103 y el Fondo Social Europeo (FSE), Peer reviewed
Supplementary Material for "Assessment of milk metabolites as biomarkers for predicting feed efficiency in dairy sheep"
Digital.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
- Marina, Héctor
- Arranz, Juan José
- Suárez-Vega, Aroa
- Pelayo, Rocío
- Guritérrez-Gil, Beatriz
- Toral, Pablo G.
- Hervás, Gonzalo
- Frutos, Pilar
- Fonseca, Pablo A.S.
Supplementary tables to the manuscript entitled Assessment of milk metabolites as biomarkers for predicting feed efficiency in dairy sheep, Supplemental Table 1: Grids used in the hyperparameter tuning stage for each machine learning (ML) model.
Supplemental Table 2: Summary of milk production and FE phenotypes in the 39 Assaf ewes analyzed in this work. For each animal
(Sample_ID), the type of lambing (single or twins), the means (±coefficient of variation in %) of the milk production traits: milk yield (MY),
milk protein percentage (PP), milk fat percentage (FP) and milk lactose percentage (LC) are presented. The FE parameters recorded during the
three-week evaluation period: Dry matter intake (DMI), feed efficiency indices RFI and FCR and the high, medium or low-efficiency group for
each FE-index are also presented.
Supplemental Table 3: m/z and LC retention time (RT, min) for the features identified in the raw milk metabolomic signature for the 39 Assaf ewes. The four sheets show the results of the reversed-phase liquid chromatography (C8) and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) for the positive and negative poles, respectively.
Supplemental Table 4: Selected features for residual feed intake (RFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) based on the Variable Importance in the Projection (VIP) values obtained in the partial least squares discriminant analysis.
Supplemental Table 5: Results of the hyperparameter tunning stage for the 100 iterations of random assignment of samples in the train and training population for all machine learning models applied for both feed efficiency (FE) metrics, residual feed intake (RFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR). The different sheets show the results of the four ML methods used (multi-layer feedforward artificial neural network (Deep), Randon Forest (RF), extreme gradient boosting (xgboost) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) using all features (All) and those selected by VIP.
Supplemental Table 6: Candidate compounds annotated for the 41 and 26 features selected for residual feed intake (RFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) during the partial least squares discriminant analysis for the discrimination of the feed efficiency (FE) groups.
Supplemental Table 7: Results of metabolic pathways enrichment analysis obtained using IMPaLA software for the candidate compound matches obtained during the annotation process for the metabolites selected for residual feed intake (RFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR)., SMARTER – SMAll RuminanTs breeding for Efficiency and Resilience 772787
European Commission, Peer reviewed, v02
Supplemental Table 2: Summary of milk production and FE phenotypes in the 39 Assaf ewes analyzed in this work. For each animal
(Sample_ID), the type of lambing (single or twins), the means (±coefficient of variation in %) of the milk production traits: milk yield (MY),
milk protein percentage (PP), milk fat percentage (FP) and milk lactose percentage (LC) are presented. The FE parameters recorded during the
three-week evaluation period: Dry matter intake (DMI), feed efficiency indices RFI and FCR and the high, medium or low-efficiency group for
each FE-index are also presented.
Supplemental Table 3: m/z and LC retention time (RT, min) for the features identified in the raw milk metabolomic signature for the 39 Assaf ewes. The four sheets show the results of the reversed-phase liquid chromatography (C8) and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) for the positive and negative poles, respectively.
Supplemental Table 4: Selected features for residual feed intake (RFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) based on the Variable Importance in the Projection (VIP) values obtained in the partial least squares discriminant analysis.
Supplemental Table 5: Results of the hyperparameter tunning stage for the 100 iterations of random assignment of samples in the train and training population for all machine learning models applied for both feed efficiency (FE) metrics, residual feed intake (RFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR). The different sheets show the results of the four ML methods used (multi-layer feedforward artificial neural network (Deep), Randon Forest (RF), extreme gradient boosting (xgboost) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) using all features (All) and those selected by VIP.
Supplemental Table 6: Candidate compounds annotated for the 41 and 26 features selected for residual feed intake (RFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) during the partial least squares discriminant analysis for the discrimination of the feed efficiency (FE) groups.
Supplemental Table 7: Results of metabolic pathways enrichment analysis obtained using IMPaLA software for the candidate compound matches obtained during the annotation process for the metabolites selected for residual feed intake (RFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR)., SMARTER – SMAll RuminanTs breeding for Efficiency and Resilience 772787
European Commission, Peer reviewed, v02
Proyecto: EC/H2020/772787
Milk transcriptome biomarker identification to enhance feed efficiency and reduce nutritional costs in dairy ewes
Digital.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
- Suárez-Vega, A
- Gutiérrez-Gil, B
- Fonseca, P A S
- Hervás, Gonzalo
- Pelayo, R
- Toral, Pablo G.
- Marina, H
- Frutos, Pilar
- Arranz, J J
13 páginas, 4 figuras, 2 tablas., In recent years, rising prices for high-quality protein-based feeds have significantly increased nutrition costs. Consequently, investigating strategies to reduce these expenses and improve feed efficiency (FE) have become increasingly important for the dairy sheep industry. This research investigates the impact of nutritional protein restriction (NPR) during prepuberty and FE on the milk transcriptome of dairy Assaf ewes (sampled during the first lactation). To this end, we first compared transcriptomic differences between NPR and control ewes. Subsequently, we evaluated gene expression differences between ewes with divergent FE, using feed conversion ratio (FCR), residual feed intake (RFI), and consensus classifications of high- and low-FE animals for both indices. Lastly, we assess milk gene expression as a predictor of FE phenotype using random forest. No effect was found for the prepubertal NPR on milk performance or FE. Moreover, at the milk transcriptome level, only one gene, HBB, was differentially expressed between the NPR (n = 14) and the control group (n = 14). Further, the transcriptomic analysis between divergent FE sheep revealed 114 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) for RFI index (high-FERFI = 10 vs low-FERFI = 10), 244 for FCR (high-FEFCR = 10 vs low-FEFCR = 10), and 1 016 DEGs between divergent consensus ewes for both indices (high-FEconsensus = 8 vs low-FEconsensus = 8). These results underscore the critical role of selected FE indices for RNA-Seq analyses, revealing that consensus divergent animals for both indices maximise differences in transcriptomic responses. Genes overexpressed in high-FEconsensus ewes were associated with milk production and mammary gland development, while low-FEconsensus genes were linked to higher metabolic expenditure for tissue organisation and repair. The best prediction accuracy for FE phenotype using random forest was obtained for a set of 44 genes consistently differentially expressed across lactations, with Spearman correlations of 0.37 and 0.22 for FCR and RFI, respectively. These findings provide insights into potential sustainability strategies for dairy sheep, highlighting the utility of transcriptomic markers as FE proxies., This research was funded by the SMARTER project through the H2020 research and innovation program of the European Commission (Grant Agreement No. 772787). PASF is funded by Maria Zambrano Postdoctoral Fellowship (Requalification of the Spanish university system, Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities)., Peer reviewed
Proyecto: EC/H2020/772787
Supplementary Material for Manuscript ID ANIMAL-24-30118
Digital.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
- Suárez Vega, Aroa
- Gutiérrez-Gil, Beatriz
- Fonseca, Pablo A.S.
- Hervás, Gonzalo
- Pelayo, Rocio
- Toral, Pablo G.
- Marina, Héctor
- Frutos, Pilar
- Arranz, Juan José
Supplementary Material S1: Supplementary methods. Milk Transcriptome Biomarker Identification to Enhance Feed Efficiency and Reduce Nutritional Costs in Dairy Ewes A. Suárez-Vega, B. Gutiérrez. Gil, P.A.S. Fonseca, G. Hervás, R. Pelayo, P.G. Toral, H. Marina, P. de Frutos, J.J. Arranz.
S1 Milk Transcriptome Biomarker Identification to Enhance Feed Efficiency and Reduce Nutritional Costs in Dairy Ewes A. Suárez-Vega, B. Gutiérrez. Gil, P.A.S. Fonseca, G. Hervás, R. Pelayo, P.G. Toral, H. Marina, P. de Frutos, J.J. Arranz.
Supplementary Table S1. Description of the experimental groups defined in the nutritional challenge experiment in the Spanish Assaf dairy ewes included in the present study.
S2 Milk Transcriptome Biomarker Identification to Enhance Feed Efficiency and Reduce Nutritional Costs in Dairy Ewes A. Suárez-Vega, B. Gutiérrez. Gil, P.A.S. Fonseca, G. Hervás, R. Pelayo, P.G. Toral, H. Marina, P. de Frutos, J.J. Arranz.
Supplementary Table S2. Statistics of the milk production and feed efficiency traits measured in the first lactation of the Assaf dairy ewes included in the nutritional challenge experiment.
S3 Milk Transcriptome Biomarker Identification to Enhance Feed Efficiency and Reduce Nutritional Costs in Dairy Ewes A. Suárez-Vega. B. Gutiérrez. Gil. P. A.S. Fonseca. Gonzalo Hervás. R. Pelayo. P.G. Toral. H. Marina. P. de Frutos. J.J. Arranz.
Supplementary Table S3. Phenotypic Values for Residual Feed Intake (RFI) and Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) indexes and group classification for transcriptomic analyses in the Spanish Assaf dairy ewes included in the present study.
S4 Milk Transcriptome Biomarker Identification to Enhance Feed Efficiency and Reduce Nutritional Costs in Dairy Ewes A. Suárez-Vega, B. Gutiérrez. Gil, P. A.S. Fonseca, Gonzalo Hervás, R. Pelayo, P.G. Toral, H. Marina, P. de Frutos, J.J. Arranz
Supplementary Table S4. Differentially expressed genes in the mammary gland transcriptome between High-FE-RFI and Low-FE-RFI sheep
S5 Milk Transcriptome Biomarker Identification to Enhance Feed Efficiency and Reduce Nutritional Costs in Dairy Ewes A. Suárez-Vega, B. Gutiérrez. Gil, P. A.S. Fonseca, Gonzalo Hervás, R. Pelayo, P.G. Toral, H. Marina, P. de Frutos, J.J. Arranz
Supplementary Table S5. Differentially expressed genes in the mammary gland transcriptome between High-FE-FCR and Low-FE-FCR sheep
S6 Milk Transcriptome Biomarker Identification to Enhance Feed Efficiency and Reduce Nutritional Costs in Dairy Ewes A. Suárez-Vega, B. Gutiérrez. Gil, P. A.S. Fonseca, Gonzalo Hervás, R. Pelayo, P.G. Toral, H. Marina, P. de Frutos, J.J. Arranz
Supplementary Table S6. Enrichment analysis results from the differentially expressed genes with higher expression in the low-FE-FCR Assaf dairy sheep
S7 Milk Transcriptome Biomarker Identification to Enhance Feed Efficiency and Reduce Nutritional Costs in Dairy Ewes A. Suárez-Vega, B. Gutiérrez. Gil, P. A.S. Fonseca, Gonzalo Hervás, R. Pelayo, P.G. Toral, H. Marina, P. de Frutos, J.J. Arranz
Supplementary Table S7. Differentially expressed genes in the mammary gland transcriptome between High-FE-consensus and Low-FE-consensus sheep
S8 Milk Transcriptome Biomarker Identification to Enhance Feed Efficiency and Reduce Nutritional Costs in Dairy Ewes A. Suárez-Vega, B. Gutiérrez. Gil, P. A.S. Fonseca, Gonzalo Hervás, R. Pelayo, P.G. Toral, H. Marina, P. de Frutos, J.J. Arranz
Supplementary Table S7. Enrichment analysis results from the differentially expressed genes with higher expression in the high-FE-consensus Spanish Assaf ewe group
S9 Milk Transcriptome Biomarker Identification to Enhance Feed Efficiency and Reduce Nutritional Costs in Dairy Ewes A. Suárez-Vega, B. Gutiérrez. Gil, P. A.S. Fonseca, Gonzalo Hervás, R. Pelayo, P.G. Toral, H. Marina, P. de Frutos, J.J. Arranz
Supplementary Table S9. Enrichment analysis results from the differentially expressed genes with higher expression in the low-FE-consensus Spanish Assaf ewe group., “Supplementary material for the manuscript "Milk Transcriptome Biomarker Identification to Enhance Feed Efficiency and Reduce Nutritional Costs in Dairy Ewes”., Horizon 2020 Framework Programme SMARTER. Contract No. 772787, Peer reviewed, v01
S1 Milk Transcriptome Biomarker Identification to Enhance Feed Efficiency and Reduce Nutritional Costs in Dairy Ewes A. Suárez-Vega, B. Gutiérrez. Gil, P.A.S. Fonseca, G. Hervás, R. Pelayo, P.G. Toral, H. Marina, P. de Frutos, J.J. Arranz.
Supplementary Table S1. Description of the experimental groups defined in the nutritional challenge experiment in the Spanish Assaf dairy ewes included in the present study.
S2 Milk Transcriptome Biomarker Identification to Enhance Feed Efficiency and Reduce Nutritional Costs in Dairy Ewes A. Suárez-Vega, B. Gutiérrez. Gil, P.A.S. Fonseca, G. Hervás, R. Pelayo, P.G. Toral, H. Marina, P. de Frutos, J.J. Arranz.
Supplementary Table S2. Statistics of the milk production and feed efficiency traits measured in the first lactation of the Assaf dairy ewes included in the nutritional challenge experiment.
S3 Milk Transcriptome Biomarker Identification to Enhance Feed Efficiency and Reduce Nutritional Costs in Dairy Ewes A. Suárez-Vega. B. Gutiérrez. Gil. P. A.S. Fonseca. Gonzalo Hervás. R. Pelayo. P.G. Toral. H. Marina. P. de Frutos. J.J. Arranz.
Supplementary Table S3. Phenotypic Values for Residual Feed Intake (RFI) and Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) indexes and group classification for transcriptomic analyses in the Spanish Assaf dairy ewes included in the present study.
S4 Milk Transcriptome Biomarker Identification to Enhance Feed Efficiency and Reduce Nutritional Costs in Dairy Ewes A. Suárez-Vega, B. Gutiérrez. Gil, P. A.S. Fonseca, Gonzalo Hervás, R. Pelayo, P.G. Toral, H. Marina, P. de Frutos, J.J. Arranz
Supplementary Table S4. Differentially expressed genes in the mammary gland transcriptome between High-FE-RFI and Low-FE-RFI sheep
S5 Milk Transcriptome Biomarker Identification to Enhance Feed Efficiency and Reduce Nutritional Costs in Dairy Ewes A. Suárez-Vega, B. Gutiérrez. Gil, P. A.S. Fonseca, Gonzalo Hervás, R. Pelayo, P.G. Toral, H. Marina, P. de Frutos, J.J. Arranz
Supplementary Table S5. Differentially expressed genes in the mammary gland transcriptome between High-FE-FCR and Low-FE-FCR sheep
S6 Milk Transcriptome Biomarker Identification to Enhance Feed Efficiency and Reduce Nutritional Costs in Dairy Ewes A. Suárez-Vega, B. Gutiérrez. Gil, P. A.S. Fonseca, Gonzalo Hervás, R. Pelayo, P.G. Toral, H. Marina, P. de Frutos, J.J. Arranz
Supplementary Table S6. Enrichment analysis results from the differentially expressed genes with higher expression in the low-FE-FCR Assaf dairy sheep
S7 Milk Transcriptome Biomarker Identification to Enhance Feed Efficiency and Reduce Nutritional Costs in Dairy Ewes A. Suárez-Vega, B. Gutiérrez. Gil, P. A.S. Fonseca, Gonzalo Hervás, R. Pelayo, P.G. Toral, H. Marina, P. de Frutos, J.J. Arranz
Supplementary Table S7. Differentially expressed genes in the mammary gland transcriptome between High-FE-consensus and Low-FE-consensus sheep
S8 Milk Transcriptome Biomarker Identification to Enhance Feed Efficiency and Reduce Nutritional Costs in Dairy Ewes A. Suárez-Vega, B. Gutiérrez. Gil, P. A.S. Fonseca, Gonzalo Hervás, R. Pelayo, P.G. Toral, H. Marina, P. de Frutos, J.J. Arranz
Supplementary Table S7. Enrichment analysis results from the differentially expressed genes with higher expression in the high-FE-consensus Spanish Assaf ewe group
S9 Milk Transcriptome Biomarker Identification to Enhance Feed Efficiency and Reduce Nutritional Costs in Dairy Ewes A. Suárez-Vega, B. Gutiérrez. Gil, P. A.S. Fonseca, Gonzalo Hervás, R. Pelayo, P.G. Toral, H. Marina, P. de Frutos, J.J. Arranz
Supplementary Table S9. Enrichment analysis results from the differentially expressed genes with higher expression in the low-FE-consensus Spanish Assaf ewe group., “Supplementary material for the manuscript "Milk Transcriptome Biomarker Identification to Enhance Feed Efficiency and Reduce Nutritional Costs in Dairy Ewes”., Horizon 2020 Framework Programme SMARTER. Contract No. 772787, Peer reviewed, v01
Proyecto: EC/H2020/772787
Influence of a temporary restriction of dietary protein in prepubertal ewe lambs on first lactation milk traits and response to a mammary gland inflammatory challenge
BULERIA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de León
- Pelayo, Rocío
- Marina García, Héctor
- Suárez Vega, Aroa
- Hervás, Gonzalo
- Esteban Blanco, Cristina
- Gausseres, Blandine
- Foucras, Gilles
- Arranz Santos, Juan José
- Gutiérrez Gil, Beatriz
[EN] This study evaluated the influence of a temporary nutritional protein restriction (NPR) performed, under commercial conditions, in prepubertal female lambs on first lactation milk production traits and the inflammatory response triggered by an inflammatory challenge of the. From 40 Assaf female lambs, we defined a control group (C n = 20), which received a standard diet for replacement lambs and the NPR group (n = 20), which received the same diet but without soybean meal between 3 and 5 months of age. About 150 days after lambing, 24 of these ewes (13 NPR, 11C) were subjected to an intramammary infusion of E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Our dynamic study identified indicator traits of local (SCC) and systemic (rectal Ta, IL-6, CXCL8, IL-10, IL-36RA, VEGF-A) response to the LPS challenge. The NPR did not show significant effects on milk production traits and did not affect the SCC and rectal Ta after the LPS challenge. However, the NPR had a significant influence on 8 of the 14 plasma biomarkers analysed, in all the cases with higher relative values in the C group. The effects observed on VEGF-A (involved in vasculogenesis during mammary gland development and vascular permeability) and IL-10 (a regulatory cytokine classically known by its anti-inflammatory action) are the most remarkable to explain the differences found between groups. Whereas further studies should be undertaken to confirm these results, our findings are of interest considering the current concern about the future world's demand for protein and the need for animal production systems to evolve toward sustainability., SI