Genetics and Genomics Commons^™

A Transgenic Pig Model Expressing A Cmv-Zsgreen1 Reporter Across An Extensive Array Of Tissues, Amy T. Desaulniers, Rebecca A. Cederberg, Elizabeth P. Carreiro, Channabasavaiah B. Gurumurthy, Brett R. White

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Since genetic engineering of pigs can benefit both biomedicine and agriculture, selecting a suitable gene promoter is critically important. The cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter, which can robustly drive ubiquitous transgene expression, is commonly used at present, yet recent reports suggest tissue-specific activity in the pig. The objective of this study was to quantify ZsGreen1 protein (in lieu of CMV promoter activity) in tissues from pigs harboring a CMV-ZsGreen1 transgene with a single integration site. Tissue samples (n=35) were collected from neonatal hemizygous (n=3) and homozygous (n=3) piglets and ZsGreen1 abundance was determined via immunoblotting. ZsGreen1 was detected in all tissues, except …

Using Triallelic Snps For Determining Parentage In North American Yak (Bos Grunniens) And Estimating Cattle (B. Taurus) Introgression, Theodore S. Kalbfleisch, Jessica L. Petersen, R. G. Tait Jr., Jiansheng Qiu, Veronica Basnayake, Peter H. Hackett, Michael P. Heaton

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Background: Genetic testing for pedigree accuracy is critical for managing genetic diversity in North American (NA) yak (Bos grunniens ), a population expanded mostly from imported zoological park specimens. DNA testing also enhances species conservation by identifying recent B. taurus F1 hybrid ancestors (within three generations). Biallelic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) can accomplish either task, but increases the marker count and costs necessary to achieve both. Our aim was to identify novel, multifunctional, triallelic yak SNPs (tySNPs), with each having two alleles for yak parentage testing, and a third allele for identifying recent cattle introgression.

Methods: Genome sequences were …

Mandibulofacial Dysostosis Attributed To A Recessive Mutation Of Cyp26c1 In Hereford Cattle, Renae L. Sieck, Anna M. Fuller, Patrick S. Bedwell, Jack A. Ward, Stacy K. Sanders, Shi-Hua Xiang, Sichong Peng, Jessica Lynn Petersen, David J. Steffen

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

In spring 2020, six Hereford calves presented with congenital facial deformities attributed to a condition we termed mandibulofacial dysostosis (MD). Affected calves shared hallmark features of a variably shortened and/or asymmetric lower mandible and bilateral skin tags present 2–10 cm caudal to the commissure of the lips. Pedigree analysis revealed a single common ancestor shared by the sire and dam of each affected calf. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of 20 animals led to the discovery of a variant (Chr26 g. 14404993T>C) in Exon 3 of CYP26C1 associated with MD. This missense mutation (p.L188P), is located in an α helix of …

Genomic Analysis Of Igg Antibody Response To Common Pathogens In Commercial Sows In Health-Challenged Herds, Leticia P. Sanglard, Piggen Canada, Benny E. Mote, Philip Willson, John C.S. Harding, Graham S. Plastow, Jack C.M. Dekkers, Nick V.L. Serão

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Losses due to infectious diseases are one of the main factors affecting productivity in the swine industry, motivating the investigation of disease resilience-related traits for genetic selection. However, these traits are not expected to be expressed in the nucleus herds, where selection is performed. One alternative is to use information from the commercial level to identify and select nucleus animals genetically superior for coping with pathogen challenges. In this study, we analyzed the genetic basis of antibody (Ab) response to common infectious pathogens in health-challenged commercial swine herds as potential indicator traits for disease resilience, including Ab response to influenza …

Free Calcium Concentration, Calpain-2 Activity, And Final Product Tenderness Of Electrically Stimulated Beef, B J. Buseman, T M. Weber, J A. Nasados, P D. Bass, J B. Van Buren, J M. Lancaster, J H. Smart, M E. Doumit, G K. Murdoch, W J. Price, K Insausti, M J. Colle

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of timing of electrical stimulation on free calcium concentration, calpain-2 activity, Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), and consumer sensory analysis. Twenty-three beef steers were harvested and stimulated (S) using extra-low voltage or not stimulated (NS), at exsanguination and/or 1 h postmortem, resulting in 4 different stimulation treatments: NS-NS, NS-S, S-NS, or S-S. Samples were removed from the longissimus lumborum (LL) and semimembranosus (SM) for free calcium and calpain-2 analysis on days 1, 4, and 14 postmortem. WBSF and sensory analysis steaks were removed on day 4 and frozen (4 d) or …

Assessing Outcomes Of Genetic Selection Panels To Predict Marbling In Crossbred Beef Cattle, Tanya M. Weber, B J. Buseman, James A. Nasados, Jessica M. Lancaster, Jessie B. Van Buren, Jaxon H. Smart, Phillip D. Bass, Gordon K. Murdoch, Kizkitza Insausti, Michael J. Colle

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of genetic panel marbling indexes [Igenity (IT) and PredicGEN (PG)] to predict marbling and tenderness of crossbred cattle. Steers (n = 23) were harvested at the University of Idaho Meat Science Laboratory, and blood samples were submitted to Neogen and Zoetis for genetic panel analysis. Forty-eight hours postharvest, one boneless strip loin was collected from each carcass, and six 2.54-cm thick steaks were cut from each strip loin. Steaks were aged for 14 and 21 d and assigned to consumer sensory evaluation or Warner–Bratzler Shear Force (WBSF) analysis. Results were …

Air Temperature, Carbon Dioxide, And Ammonia Assessment Inside A Commercial Cage Layer Barn With Manure-Drying Tunnels, W Zheng, Y Xiong, R S. Gates, K W. Koelkebeck

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Understanding the air temperature distribution, ammonia (NH₃) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels in poultry housing systems are crucial to poultry health, welfare, and productivity. In this study, 4 Intelligent Portable Monitoring Units and 7 temperature sensors were installed inside and between the cages and above 2 minimum ventilation fans of a commercial stacked-deck cage laying hen house in the Midwest United States (425,000 laying hens) to continuously monitor the interior environment over a 6-month period. During cold conditions (March 12th–May 22nd), there was a variation noted, with barn center temperatures consistently being highest in the longitudinal …

Using Genetic Panels To Predict Tenderness In Beef Cattle, Tanya M. Weber, Michael J. Colle, Gordon K. Murdoch, B J. Buseman, Jessica M. Lancaster, Jessie B. Van Buren, James A. Nasados, Phillip D. Bass

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Genetic panel use as a selection tool has grown in popularity in the beef industry. The objective of the study was to determine whether beef cattle genetically selected for tenderness generated a tender product. Igenity® (IT) panel results were provided by a cattle producer for 52 steers, which were harvested at a commercial harvest facility. Boneless strip loins (Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications #180; United States Department of Agriculture [USDA] Choice, n = 32; USDA Prime n = 20) were collected from the left side of each carcass and transported to the University of Idaho Meat Science Laboratory. Four steaks were …

Effects Of A Vitamin And Mineral Bolus On Beef Heifer Feedlot Performance, Feeding Behavior, Carcass Characteristics, And Liver Mineral Concentrations, Kacie L. Mccarthy, Sarah R. Underdahl, Carl R. Dahlen

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Crossbred beef heifers (n = 23; initial body weight [BW] = 370 ± 12 kg) housed at the North Dakota State University Beef Cattle Research Complex in Fargo, North Dakota, were used to evaluate the effects of a 250-d slow-release vitamin and mineral bolus on feedlot performance, feeding behavior, carcass characteristics, and liver mineral concentrations. Heifers were assigned to one of two treatments: 1) received no supplemental mineral or vitamin (CON, n = 12 or 2) received two boluses on day 0 (minimum of 3,740 mg Ca, 16,456 mg Mg, 112 mg Na, 11,220 mg Cu, 2,995 mg I, …

Comparison Of Poly-A+ Selection And Rrna Depletion In Detection Of Lncrna In Two Equine Tissues Using Rna-Seq, Anna R. Dahlgren, Erica Y. Scott, Tamer Mansour, Erin N. Hales, Pablo J. Ross, Theodore S. Kalbfleisch, James N. Macleod, Jessica Lynn Petersen, Rebecca R. Bellone, Carrie J. Finno

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are untranslated regulatory transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides that can play a role in transcriptional, post-translational, and epigenetic regulation. Traditionally, RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) libraries have been created by isolating transcriptomic RNA via poly-A+ selection. In the past 10 years, methods to perform ribosomal RNA (rRNA) depletion of total RNA have been developed as an alternative, aiming for better coverage of whole transcriptomic RNA, both polyadenylated and non-polyadenylated transcripts. The purpose of this study was to determine which library preparation method is optimal for lncRNA investigations in the horse. Using liver and cerebral parietal lobe tissues from two …

Effect Of Ammoniation And Harvest Method On Waste And Consumption Of Corn Residue Bales Fed To Cows In A Round Bale Feeder, Ashley C. Conway, Zachary E. Carlson, Fred H. Hilscher Jr, J. C. Macdonald, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Mary E. Drewnoski

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

To determine the effects of harvest method and ammoniation (3.7% of dry matter) on consumption and waste of baled corn residue, a 6 × 6 Latin square with a 3 × 2 factorial treatment structure was conducted. Six treatments consisted of either nonammoniated or ammoniated residue, harvested one of three ways: conventional rake and bale (CONV), New Holland Cornrower with two rows of stem chopped into the windrow with tailings (2ROW), or EZBale system (EZB) with a disengaged combine spreader and tailings dropped in a windrow. Open cows were grouped by body weight to produce a light block of two …

Asas Celebrates 10 Years Of Publishing Animal Frontiers: The Review Magazine Of Animal Agriculture, Debora L. Hamernik, Meghan Wulster-Radcliffe, Steven A. Zinn

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

In July 2011, the first issue of Animal Frontiers was published by an international consortium including the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS), the Canadian Society of Animal Science (CSAS), and the European Federation of Animal Science (EAAP). Development of an international, science-based, open access journal that provided review articles and global perspectives on the complex dynamics associated with the production of animal-sourced foods was an accomplishment in and of itself, but the ability to meet the needs of a diverse community of readers, including scientists, policy makers, educators, and the general public set Animal Frontiers apart from other journals. …

The Effects Of 2 Genetic Lines On Spatial Distribution And Use And Preference Of Perch And Nest Area In An Aviary System, Sheila E. Scheideler, Pamela E. Eusebio Balcazar, K. Hanford

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The objective of this trial was to evaluate spatial distribution, nest and perch usage, and preference of Lohmann Brown (BH) and Bovan White (WH) Leghorn hens raised in an aviary system. At 5 wk, 400 floor raised pullets, BH and WH strains, in equal numbers, were placed into 8 modified Big Dutchman Natura aviary units. Each aviary unit had 3 tiers with perches and an indoor litter area. At 25 wk, the number of birds was recorded by scan sampling every 4 h. The number of birds perching in each aviary unit was recorded every 4 h at 15, 25, …

Impact Of Cow Milk Production On Cow–Calf Performance In The Nebraska Sandhills, Tasha M. King, Jacki A. Musgrave, Richard N. Funston, J. Travis Mulliniks

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Livestock producers have tended to select for increased output traits like milk production and growth to increase productivity. Even with the increased selection for greater calf growth potential, some regions in the United States have seen a plateau in calf body weight (BW) at weaning (Lalman et al., 2019). When focusing on reaching maximum potential of these output traits, it is important to consider the multitude of variables that affect a production system. With increased milk production, nutrient requirements for cows become increased (Ferrell and Jenkins, 1984; Montaño-Bermudez et al., 1990), which may not be met if range and forage …

Formation And Characterization Of Lipid Droplets Of The Bovine Corpus Luteum, Heather A. Talbott, Michele R. Plewes, Crystal Krause, Xiaoying Hou, Pan Zhang, William B. Rizzo, Jennifer R. Wood, Andrea S. Cupp, John S. Davis

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Establishment and maintenance of pregnancy depends on progesterone synthesized by luteal tissue in the ovary. Our objective was to identify the characteristics of lipid droplets (LDs) in ovarian steroidogenic cells. We hypothesized that LDs are a major feature of steroidogenic luteal cells and store cholesteryl esters. Whole bovine tissues, isolated ovarian steroidogenic cells (granulosa, theca, small luteal, and large luteal), and isolated luteal LDs were assessed for LD content, LD-associated proteins and lipid analyses. Bovine luteal tissue contained abundant lipid droplets, LD-associated perilipins 2/3/5, hormone-sensitive lipase, and 1-acylglycerol-3-phosphate O-acyltransferase ABHD5. Luteal tissue was enriched in triglycerides (TGs) compared to other …

Heat Stress And Β-Adrenergic Agonists Alter The Adipose Transcriptome And Fatty Acid Mobilization In Ruminant Livestock, Rachel R. Reith, Renae L. Sieck, Pablo C. Grijalva, Erin M. Duffy, Rebecca M. Swanson, Anna M. Fuller, Kristin A. Beede, Joslyn K. Beard, Duarte E. Diaz, Ty B. Schmidt, Dustin T. Yates, Jessica L. Petersen

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Growth and feed efficiency of cattle are improved by supplementation with the beta-adrenergic agonists (βAA), ractopamine hydrochloride (RH; β₁AA) or zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH; β₂AA) (Elam et al., 2009). βAA supplementation alters adipose deposition by inhibiting fatty acid biosynthesis and promoting lipolysis of stored triacylglycerols into free fatty acids (FFAs) (Johnson et al., 2014). However, β₂ adrenoceptors (βAR) desensitize with chronic activation (Re et al., 1997); supplementation is thus limited to the last 20 to 40 d of feeding.

The annual economic impact of heat stress (HS) has been estimated to exceed $2.4 billion (St-Pierre et …

Beef Cows With Atypical Estrous Cyclicity At Puberty Produced Calves With Deficits In Preweaning Muscling, Metabolic Indicators, And Myoblast Function But Not In Feedlot Performance, Rebecca M. Swanson, Rachel L. Gibbs, Caitlin Cadaret, Galen E. Erickson, Ty B. Schmidt, Andrea Cupp, Dustin T. Yates

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

In cattle, age at puberty and number of estrous cycles prior to first breeding contribute to lifetime reproductive success (Perry et al., 1991). In our university beef herd, we have identified a subset of cows that exhibited irregular pubertal cyclicity patterns between weaning and their first breeding season, which we postulate is associated with high androstenedione in follicular fluid (Cupp et al., 2019). Cows with high androstenedione are subfertile but wean calves that average 17 kg heavier than the herd average (Summers et al., 2014). We hypothesized that this additional weight at weaning in their offspring is due to superior …

Influence Of Host Genetics In Shaping The Rumen Bacterial Community In Beef Cattle, Waseem Abbas, Jeremy T. Howard, Henry Paz, Kristin E. Hales, James E. Wells, Larry A. Kuehn, Galen E. Erickson, Matthew L. Spangler, Samodha Fernando

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

In light of recent host-microbial association studies, a consensus is evolving that species composition of the gastrointestinal microbiota is a polygenic trait governed by interactions between host genetic factors and the environment. Here, we investigated the effect of host genetic factors in shaping the bacterial species composition in the rumen by performing a genome-wide association study. Using a common set of 61,974 single-nucleotide polymorphisms found in cattle genomes (n = 586) and corresponding rumen bacterial community composition, we identified operational taxonomic units (OTUs), Families and Phyla with high heritability. The top associations (1-Mb windows) were located on 7 chromosomes. These …

Bovine Respiratory Disease Influences On Nutrition And Nutrient Metabolism, Clinton R. Krehbiel

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

• Inflammation caused by bovine respiratory disease (BRD) continues to be one of the greatest challenges facing beef cattle producers and feedlot managers.

• BRD results in decreased intake, daily gain, and feed efficiency in feedlot calves, decreasing growth rate and increasing required days on feed.

• Morbidity caused by BRD has been associated with decreased hot carcass weight and poor carcass characteristics.

• Acute phase protein production in the liver, initiated by proinflammatory cytokines, may shift the priority for amino acid and energy use by the host animal during periods of sickness.

• Nutrient requirements for stressed calves seem …

Age Related Extracellular Matrix And Interstitial Cell Phenotype In Pulmonary Valves, Shaohua Wu, Vikas Kumar, Peng Xiao, Mitchell Kuss, Jung Yul Lim, Chittibabu Guda, Jonathan Butcher, Bin Duan

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Heart valve disease is a common manifestation of cardiovascular disease and is a significant cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality worldwide. The pulmonary valve (PV) is of primary concern because of its involvement in common congenital heart defects, and the PV is usually the site for prosthetic replacement following a Ross operation. Although effects of age on valve matrix components and mechanical properties for aortic and mitral valves have been studied, very little is known about the age-related alterations that occur in the PV. In this study, we isolated PV leaflets from porcine hearts in different age groups (~ 4–6 …

Differential Longitudinal Establishment Of Human Fecal Bacterial Communities In Germ-Free Porcine And Murine Models, Nirosh Aluthge, Wesley A. Tom, Alison Bartenslager, Thomas E. Burkey, Phillip S. Miller, Kelly D. Heath, Craig Kreikemeier-Bower, Hatem Kittana, Robert Schmaltz, Amanda Ramer-Tait, Samodha Fernando

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The majority of microbiome studies focused on understanding mechanistic relationships between the host and the microbiota have used mice and other rodents as the model of choice. However, the domestic pig is a relevant model that is currently underutilized for human microbiome investigations. In this study, we performed a direct comparison of the engraftment of fecal bacterial communities from human donors between human microbiotaassociated (HMA) piglet and mouse models under identical dietary conditions. Analysis of 16S rRNA genes using amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) revealed that with the exception of early microbiota from infants, the more mature microbiotas tested established better …

Deficits In Growth, Muscle Mass, And Body Composition Following Placental Insufficiency-Induced Intrauterine Growth Restriction Persisted In Lambs At 60 D Of Age But Were Improved By Daily Clenbuterol Supplementation, Rachel L. Gibbs, Rebecca M. Swanson, Joslyn K. Beard, Ty B. Schmidt, Jessica Lynn Petersen, Dustin T. Yates

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Low birthweight in livestock results from stress-induced intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR; Yates et al., 2018). IUGR fetuses exhibit diminished muscle growth that persists in the neonatal stage, leading to asymmetric body composition and decreased weight gain (Cadaret et al., 2019). Ultimately, low birthweight diminishes yield and carcass merit at harvest (Greenwood et al., 2000), making effective postnatal treatment strategies to improve IUGR growth outcomes necessary. In this study, we examined the benefits of injecting the β2 agonist clenbuterol daily to target adrenergic adaptations that we previously observed in IUGR muscle (Posont et al., 2018; Yates et al., 2018). We hypothesized …

Genetic Structure And Admixture In Sheep From Terminal Breeds In The United States, Kimberly M. Davenport, C. Heimke, S. D. Mc Kay, J. W. Thorne, Ronald M. Lewis, Todd Taylor, B. M. Murdoch

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Selection for performance in diverse production settings has resulted in variation across sheep breeds worldwide. Although sheep are an important species to the United States, the current genetic relationship among many terminal sire breeds is not well characterized. Suffolk, Hampshire, Shropshire and Oxford (terminal) and Rambouillet (dual purpose) sheep (n = 248) sampled from different flocks were genotyped using the Applied Biosystems Axiom Ovine Genotyping Array (50K), and additional Shropshire sheep (n = 26) using the Illumina Ovine SNP50 BeadChip. Relationships were investigated by calculating observed heterozygosity, inbreeding coefficients, eigenvalues, pairwise Wright’s FST estimates and an identity by state matrix. …

Genome-Wide Association Study To Identify Genetic Loci Associated With Gastrointestinal Nematode Resistance In Katahdin Sheep, G. M. Becker, K. M. Davenport, Joan M. Burke, Ronald M. Lewis, J. E. Miller, J. L.M. Morgan, D. R. Notter, B. M. Murdoch

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Resistance to gastrointestinal nematodes has previously been shown to be a moderately heritable trait in some breeds of sheep, but the mechanisms of resistance are not well understood. Selection for resistance currently relies upon faecal egg counts (FEC), blood packed cell volumes and FAMACHA visual indicator scores of anaemia. Identifying genomic markers associated with disease resistance would potentially improve the selection process and provide a more reliable means of classifying and understanding the biology behind resistant and susceptible sheep. A GWAS was conducted to identify possible genetic loci associated with resistance to Haemonchus contortus in Katahdin sheep. Forty animals were …

Lamb Wool Shedding Is A Good Predictor Of Ewe Wool Shedding, Napoleón Vargas Jurado, Larry Kuehn, Ronald M. Lewis

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Interest in reducing labour costs due to shearing has led to development of breed types that shed their wool naturally. Selection at young ages can facilitate response. Reliability of predictions of adult from lamb wool shedding (WS) is thus key in the design of breeding programmes to increase shedding. Our objectives were to estimate heritabilities and genetic relationships between WS measured once in lambs and repeatedly in ewes and to assess the accuracy of lamb WS EBV to predict ewe WS EBV based on a multi‐trait threshold or a repeatability model. Data were 4,971 lamb and 3,335 ewe WS records …

Special Topic: Cell-Based Meat: The Need To Assess Holistically, Cameron Faustman, Deb Hamernik, Michael Looper, Steven A. Zinn

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Proof-of-principle for large-scale engineering of edible muscle tissue, in vitro, was established with the product’s introduction in 2013. Subsequent research and commentary on the potential for cell-based meat to be a viable food option and potential alternative to conventional meat have been significant. While some of this has focused on the biology and engineering required to optimize the manufacturing process, a majority of debate has focused on cultural, environmental, and regulatory considerations. Animal scientists and others with expertise in muscle and cell biology, physiology, and meat science have contributed to the knowledge base that has made cell-based meat possible and …

Asas-Nanp Symposium: Ruminant/ Nonruminant Feed Composition: Challenges And Opportunities Associated With Creating Large Feed Composition Tables, Andres Schlageter-Tello, George C. Fahey, Tarra Freel, Liz Koutsos, Phillip S. Miller, William P. Weiss

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Traditional feed composition tables have been a useful tool in the field of animal nutrition throughout the last 70 yr. The objective of this paper is to discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with creating large feed ingredient composition tables. This manuscript will focus on three topics discussed during the National Animal Nutrition Program (NANP) Symposium in ruminant and nonruminant nutrition carried out at the American Society of Animal Science Annual Meeting in Austin, TX, on July 11, 2019, namely: 1) Using large datasets in feed composition tables and the importance of standard deviation in nutrient composition as well as …

The Effect Of Varicocele On Semen Quality In Boars Exposed To Heat Stress, Tasha R. Gruhot, Brett White, Benny Mote

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Semen quality has a dramatic impact on reproductive efficiency in the swine industry, influencing both conception rate and litter size. The objective of this study was to assess whether the presence of varicocele hinders semen quality in both thermoneutral and heat stress (HS) conditions. At approximately 6 mo of age, ultrasonography was used to measure left and right pampiniform plexus area in order to detect varicocele in maternal line boars at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Between 10 and 12 mo of age, semen was collected from each boar (n = 28) twice weekly. Boars were collected under thermoneutral conditions, were …

Beta-Adrenergic Agonists Increase Maximal Output Of Oxidative Phosphorylation In Bovine Satellite Cells, Renae L. Sieck, Leah K. Treffer, Martonio Ponte Viana, Oleh Khalimonchuk, Ty B. Schmidt, Dustin T. Yates, Jessica L. Petersen

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Beta-adrenergic agonists (βAA), Ractopamine HCl (RH) and Zilpaterol HCl (ZH), are FDAapproved supplements utilized in pigs and cattle to improve growth performance, carcass weight, and longissimus muscle area (Arp et al., 2014; Lean et al., 2014). Previous studies within our group have focused on understanding molecular changes in skeletal muscle due to βAA supplementation. This work has shown that βAA supplementation increases glucose oxidation in muscle from thermoneutral and heat-stressed lambs (Barnes et al., 2019) and in rat skeletal muscle stimulated with ZH (Cadaret et al., 2017). Skeletal muscle transcriptomics of lambs supplemented ZH revealed upregulation of genes associated with …

Genetic Structure And Admixture In Sheep From Terminal Breeds In The United States, Kimberly M. Davenport, C. Hiemke, Stephanie D. Mc Kay, J. W. Thorne, Ronald M. Lewis, Todd Taylor, B. M. Murdoch

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Selection for performance in diverse production settings has resulted in variation across sheep breeds worldwide. Although sheep are an important species to the United States, the current genetic relationship among many terminal sire breeds is not well characterized. Suffolk, Hampshire, Shropshire and Oxford (terminal) and Rambouillet (dual purpose) sheep (n = 248) sampled from different flocks were genotyped using the Applied Biosystems Axiom Ovine Genotyping Array (50K), and additional Shropshire sheep (n = 26) using the Illumina Ovine SNP50 BeadChip. Relationships were investigated by calculating observed heterozygosity, inbreeding coefficients, eigenvalues, pairwise Wright’s FST estimates and an identity by state matrix. …