Animal Sciences Commons^™

Altered Theca And Cumulus Oocyte Complex Gene Expression, Follicular Arrest And Reduced Fertility In Cows With Dominant Follicle Follicular Fluid Androgen Excess, Adam F. Summers, William E. Pohlmeier, Kevin M. Sargent, Brizett D. Cole, Rebecca J. Vinton, Scott G. Kurz, Renee M. Mcfee, Robert A. Cushman, Andrea S. Cupp, Jennifer R. Wood

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Aspiration of bovine follicles 12–36 hours after induced corpus luteum lysis serendipitously identified two populations of cows, one with High androstenedione (A4; >40 ng/ml; mean = 102) and another with Low A4 (/ml; mean = 9) in follicular fluid. We hypothesized that the steroid excess in follicular fluid of dominant follicles in High A4 cows would result in reduced fertility through altered follicle development and oocyte maternal RNA abundance. To test this hypothesis, estrous cycles of cows were synchronized and ovariectomy was performed 36 hours later. HPLC MS/MS analysis of follicular fluid showed increased dehydroepiandrosterone (6-fold), A4 (158-fold) and testosterone …

Kernel-Based Whole-Genome Prediction Of Complex Traits: A Review, Gota Morota, Daniel Penagaricano

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Prediction of genetic values has been a focus of applied quantitative genetics since the beginning of the 20th century, with renewed interest following the advent of the era of whole genome-enabled prediction. Opportunities offered by the emergence of high-dimensional genomic data fueled by post-Sanger sequencing technologies, especially molecular markers, have driven researchers to extend Ronald Fisher and Sewall Wright’s models to confront new challenges. Inparticular, kernel methods are gaining consideration as a regression method of choice for genome-enabled prediction. Complex traits are presumably influenced by many genomic regions working in concert with others (clearly so when considering pathways), thus generating …

Genome Wide Association Study Of Cholesterol And Poly- And Monounsaturated Fatty Acids, Protein, And Mineral Content Of Beef From Crossbred Cattle, C. M. Ahlberg, Lauren N. Schiermiester, J. T. Howard, Chris R. Calkins, Matthew L. Spangler

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The objectives were to determine the variation explained by the BovineSNP50v2 BeadChip for cholesterol (CH), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), protein, and minerals in beef cattle, and to identify chromosomal regions that harbor major allelic variants underlying the variation of these traits. Crossbred steers and heifers (n = 236) segregating at the inactive myostatin allele on BTA2 were harvested and steaks were sampled from the M. semitendinosus and the M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum for nutrient analysis. A Bayes C algorithm was employed in genome-wide association analysis. The resulting posterior heritability (SD) estimates ranged from 0.43 (0.10) …

Choline And Choline Metabolite Patterns And Associations In Blood And Milk During Lactation In Dairy Cows, Virginia M. Artegoitia, Jesse L. Foote, Federico M. Harte, Shawn R. Campagna, Michael J. De Veth

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Milk and dairy products are an important source of choline, a nutrient essential for human health. Infant formula derived from bovine milk contains a number of metabolic forms of choline, all contribute to the growth and development of the newborn. At present, little is known about the factors that influence the concentrations of choline metabolites in milk. The objectives of this study were to characterize and then evaluate associations for choline and its metabolites in blood and milk through the first 37 weeks of lactation in the dairy cow. Milk and blood samples from twelve Holstein cows were collected in …

Ept7 Influences Estrogen Action In The Pituitary Gland And Body Weight Of Rats, Scott G. Kurz, Kirsten L. Mcfee, Nyssa Becker Samanas, Maureen Peters Hickman, Quincy A. Eckert, Tiffany L. Walker, Andrea S. Cupp, James D. Shull

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Estrogens control many aspects of pituitary gland biology, including regulation of lactotroph homeostasis and synthesis and secretion of prolactin. In rat models, these actions are strain specific and heritable, and multiple quantitative trait loci (QTL) have been mapped that impact the responsiveness of the lactotroph to estrogens. One such QTL, Ept7, was mapped to RNO7 in female progeny generated in an intercross between BN rats, in which the lactotroph population is insensitive to estrogens, and ACI rats, which develop lactotroph hyperplasia/adenoma and associated hyperprolactinemia in response to estrogen treatment. The primary objective of this study was to confirm the …

Effects Of Il8 And Immune Cells On The Regulation Of Luteal Progesterone Secretion, Heather Talbott, Abigail Delaney, Pan Zhang, Yangsheng Yu, Robert Cushman, Andrea S. Cupp, John S. Davis

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Recent studies suggest that chemokines may mediate the luteolytic action of PGF2α (PGF). Our objective was to identify chemokines induced by PGF in vivo and to determine the effects of IL8 on specific luteal cell types in vitro. Midcycle cows were injected with saline or PGF, ovaries were removed after 0.5 - 4 h and chemokine expression was analyzed by qPCR. In vitro expression of IL8 was analyzed after PGF administration and with cell signaling inhibitors to determine the mechanism of PGF-induced chemokine expression. Purified neutrophils were analyzed for migration and activation in response to IL8 and PGF. Purified …

Qtls Associated With Dry Matter Intake, Metabolic Mid-Test Weight, Growth And Feed Efficiency Have Little Overlap Across 4 Beef Cattle Studies, Mahdi Saatchi, Jonathan E. Beever, Jared E. Decker, Dan B. Faulkner, Harvey C. Freetly, Stephanie L. Hansen, Helen Yampara-Iquise, Kristen A. Johnson, Stephen D. Kachman, Monty S. Kerley, Jaewoo Kim, Daniel D. Loy, Elisa Marques, Holly L. Neibergs, E. John Pollak, Robert D. Schnabel, Christopher M. Seabury, Daniel W. Shike, W. M. Snelling, Matthew L. Spangler, Robert L. Weaber, D. J. Garrick, Jeremy F. Taylor

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Background: The identification of genetic markers associated with complex traits that are expensive to record such as feed intake or feed efficiency would allow these traits to be included in selection programs. To identify large-effect QTL, we performed a series of genome-wide association studies and functional analyses using 50 K and 770 K SNP genotypes scored in 5,133 animals from 4 independent beef cattle populations (Cycle VII, Angus, Hereford and Simmental × Angus) with phenotypes for average daily gain, dry matter intake, metabolic mid-test body weight and residual feed intake.

Results: A total of 5, 6, 11 and 10 significant …

Variation In Time And Magnitude Of Immune Response And Viremia In Experimental Challenges With Porcine Circovirus 2b, Taylor B. Engle, Erin E. Jobman, Timonthy W. Moural, Autumn M. Mcknite, Justin W. Bundy, Sarah Y. Barnes, Emily H. Davis, Judith A. Galeota, Thomas E. Burkey, Graham S. Plastow, Stephen D. Kachman, Daniel C. Ciobanu

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Background: Porcine circovirus 2 is the primary agent responsible for inducing a group of associated diseases known as Porcine Circovirus Associated Diseases (PCVAD), which can have detrimental effects on production efficiency as well as causing significant mortality. The objective of this study was to evaluate variation in viral replication, immune response and growth across pigs (n = 974) from different crossbred lines. The approach used in this study was experimental infection with a PCV2b strain of pigs at an average of 43 days of age.

Results: The sequence of the PCV2b isolate used in the challenge was similar with a …

Soil Organic Matter And Root And Rhizome Responses To Management Strategies In Smooth Bromegrass Pastures, John A. Guretzky, Ana B. Nuttelman, Walter H. Schacht, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Andrea K. Watson

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Soil organic matter (SOM) is a key component of pasture production. This is study investigated how management strategies that varied amount and form of N input in a long-term experiment affected concentrations and stocks of total-soil organic C and N, particulate organic carbon (POC), particulate organic nitrogen (PON), root and rhizome mass, C and N contents in topsoil of smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.) pastures with silty clay loam soils in a wet (2010) and dry (2012) year. Management strategies included: (i) unfertilized pasture grazed with unsupplemented beef cattle (CONT); (ii) unfertilized pasture grazed with dried distillers grains plus …

Litter Deposition And Nitrogen Return In Rotationally Stocked Smooth Bromegrass Pastures, John A. Guretzky, Walter H. Schacht, Ana B. Wingeyer, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Andrea K. Watson

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Understanding how management systems impact nutrient cycling is important to pasture sustainability. From 2010 to 2011, we investigated how supplementation of beef cattle (Bos taurus) with corn (Zea mays L.) dried distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS) on unfertilized, rotationally stocked smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.) pasture (SUPP) affected the litter pool, residual herbage mass, litter deposition, and litter quality relative to unsupplemented beef cattle rotationally stocked on unfertilized control (CONT) and N-fertilized (FERT) smooth bromegrass pastures. As hypothesized based on management for greater herbage mass and animal demand during the grazing season, litter deposition was 48% …

Western Immunoblotting In Avian Shell Gland Sample Immunoblotting Methods1, K.K. Hansen, R.J. Kittok, Gautam Sarath, Mary M. Beck

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Avian shell gland tissue was subjected to Western blot analysis using anti-human estrogen receptor- α antibody H222. Initial attempts to obtain consistent, high-quality blots were unsuccessful because, as it turned out, excessive lipid in tissue preparations interfered with protein separation. Incremental additions of acetone eventually proved to be the critical step in solubilizing lipids and allowing consistent separation of bands on gels. A detailed description of the methodology is presented.

Short-Term Effects Of Lower Oil Dried Distillers Grains With Solubles In Laying Hen Rations, Sheila E. Scheideler, Kathy Hanford, Brett Kreifels

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Extraction of oil from dried distillers grains has become a common practice among US ethanol producers. The valuable oil has been diverted to markets other than poultry feed, leaving new dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) products higher in fiber and purportedly lower in ME. This study compared 3 DDGS products with 10.3, 7.3, or 5.2% ether extract, respectively, with a corn-soy control ration in young Bovan laying hens for a feeding period from 20 to 33 wk of age. The DDGS was fed at the rate of 20% of the ration. Lower oil content of DDGS had no effect …

Quantitative Trait Loci For Energy Balance Traits In An Advanced Intercross Line Derived From Mice Divergently Selected For Heat Loss, Larry J. Leamy, Kari Elo, Merlyn K. Nielsen, Stephanie R. Thorn, William Valdar, Daniel Pomp

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Obesity in human populations, currently a serious health concern, is considered to be the consequence of an energy imbalance in which more energy in calories is consumed than is expended. We used interval mapping techniques to investigate the genetic basis of a number of energy balance traits in an F₁₁ advanced intercross population of mice created from an original intercross of lines selected for increased and decreased heat loss. We uncovered a total of 137 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for these traits at 41 unique sites on 18 of the 20 chromosomes in the mouse genome, with X-linked QTLs …

Effects Of Beef Production System On Animal Performance And Carcass Characteristics, C. L. Maxwell, C. R. Lopez, B. K. Wilson, B. T. Johnson, B. C. Bernhard, C. F. O'Neill, D. L. Vanoverbeke, G. G. Mafi, D. L. Step, C. J. Richards

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to evaluate conventional (CONV) and natural (NAT) beef production systems from annual pasture through finishing through grazing. Beef steers (n = 180, initial BW = 250 ± 19 kg) were assigned randomly to 2 treatments in the pasture phase. Steers were implanted with 40 mg of trenbolone acetate (TBA), 8 mg estradiol, and 29 mg tylosin tartrate (CONV), or received no implant (NAT). Steers on the 2 treatments grazed wheat or cereal rye for 109 d. Conventional steers had an 18.5% improvement in ADG (1.22 vs. 1.03 kg/d, P < 0.01) and a heavier final BW (385 vs. 366 kg, P < 0.01) compared with NAT steers. Following the pasture phase, steers (n = 160 steers, 5 steers/pen, 8 pens/treatment) were assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial in the feedlot phase. Production system (NAT vs. CONV) was maintained from the pasture phase, and the second factor was 7 vs. 12% low-quality roughage (DM basis, LOW vs. HIGH). During finishing, CONV steers were given 120 mg of TBA and 24 mg estradiol at processing, fed monensin and tylosin, and fed zilpaterol hydrochloride for the last 20 d of the experiment. There were no program × roughage level interactions (P > 0.07). The CONV steers ate …

Comparative Digestibility By Cattle Versus Sheep: Effect Of Forage Quality, S. A. Soto-Navarro, R. Lancaster, C. Sankey, B. M. Capitan, B. P. Holland, L. A. Balstad, C. R. Krehbiel

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The objective was to determine the effect of forage quality on apparent total tract digestibility and ruminal fermentation in cattle versus sheep. Five yearling English crossbred (Hereford × Angus) steers (440.4 ± 35.6 kg of initial BW) and 5 yearling whiteface (Rambouillet × Columbia × Debouillet) wethers (44.4 ± 4.6 kg of initial BW), each fitted with a ruminal cannula, were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 forage sources within ruminant specie, and the study was conducted over 3 periods. For forage source, both animal and period served as the blocking factor with all forage sources represented once within each …

Analysis Of 28 Generations Of Selection For Reproduction, Growth, And Carcass Traits In Swine, W. L. Hsu, Rodger K. Robinson

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Selection (28 generations, G) in a Large White–Landrace composite population for traits aimed at increasing live pigs born per litter (BA), with additional selection for increased 180-d weight (WT180) and longissimus muscle area (LMA) and decreased back fat (BF10) in the last 8 generations, was practiced. Objectives herein were to estimate genetic and phenotypic responses and genetic parameters (n = 1,883 to 54,174) and to investigate whether a plateau in response for BA occurred. Line 2 (L2) was selected for an index of ovulation rate and embryo survival (G0 to G11), fully formed pigs (FF) per litter (G12 to 14), …

High-Sulfur In Beef Cattle Diets: A Review, M. E. Drewnoski, D. J. Pogge, S. L. Hansen

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

While many cattle feeding areas in the United States have long dealt with high sulfate water, increased feeding of ethanol co-products such as distillers grains with solubles to beef cattle has led to a corresponding increase in dietary sulfur. As a result, sulfur metabolism in the ruminant has been the focus of many research studies over the past ten years, and advances in our knowledge have been made. Excessive sulfur in cattle diets may have implications on trace mineral absorption, dry matter intake, and overall cattle growth. This review will focus on what we have learned about the metabolism of …

Increasing Dietary Neutral Detergent Fiber Concentration Decreases Ruminal Hydrogen Sulfide Concentrations In Steers Fed High-Sulfur Diets Based On Ethanol Coproducts, S. J. Morine, M. E. Drewnoski, S. L. Hansen

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Cattle feedlot diets commonly contain ethanol coproducts that are high in S. This dietary S is reduced in the rumen by sulfate reducing bacteria, resulting in an accumulation of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), increasing the risk for S toxicity. A negative correlation between H₂S and ruminal pH has been observed previously. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of varying dietary NDF from chopped bromegrass hay (66% NDF) on performance, ruminal pH, and ruminal H2S gas concentration of steers fed a high-S finishing diet. One hundred fifty crossbred steers (359 ± 51 kg BW) were blocked …

System And Method For Analyzing Properties Of Meat Using Multispectral Imaging, Jeyamkondan Subbiah, Chris Richard Calkins, Ashok Kumor Samal, Govindarajan Konda Naganathan

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

A system and method for obtaining multispectral images of fresh meat at predetermined wavelength bands at a first time, subjecting the images to analysis in an image analysis system comprising a computer programmed to perform such analysis, and outputting a forecast of meat tenderness at a later point in time. Predetermined key wavelength bands are precorrelated with a high degree of prediction of meat tenderness and/or other properties of meat and are used in the multispectral system and method. A system and method for determining the key wavelengths is also disclosed. The multispectral imaging system and method is suitable for …