• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• 제19권6호
• /
• pp.793-798
• /
• 2006

The quality characteristics of semen are important indicators of the fertility of a boar. Development of genetic markers for the semen quality in boars will be beneficial to the improvement of porcine fertility. We investigated the relationship between the polymorphisms of epidermal growth factor (EGF), prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) and prolactin receptor (PRLR) genes, and semen quality traits in boars. The genomic DNA of 233 boars (157 Duroc and 86 Landrace) from a central testing station was subjected to genotyping for surveying gene frequency. The EGF, PTGS2 and PRLR genotypes were determined using the restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Thirty-seven normal, mature Duroc boars from an AI center were also genotyped and their semen quality traits were collected. The effect of genotype on semen quality traits was analyzed by the least-squares means method using data corrected for season. The frequencies of the AA genotype of EGF, PTGS2 and PRLR in Duroc boars were 0.14, 0.01 and 0.66, respectively. In Landrace, the frequencies of the AA genotype were 0.03, 0.09 and 0.62, respectively. Boars with the BB genotype in EGF, with the AB genotype in PTGS2 and with the AA genotype in PRLR had significantly better semen quality with a higher percentage of normal sperm and a lower percentage of immature sperm than those with other genotypes. These findings imply that polymorphisms of EGF, PTGS2 and PRLR genes might be used as markers for improving the semen quality of boars.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• 제26권3호
• /
• pp.303-308
• /
• 2013

Subfertility problems are encountered frequently in the cattle and buffalo bulls commercially maintained for semen production in dairy farms and under field conditions for natural insemination. Reports are scarce on the incidence of subfertility in breeding bulls, especially in India. The objective of the present study was to assess the incidence of the male reproductive anomalies leading to disposal of bovine bulls at GADVASU dairy farm, Ludhiana, Punjab (India). Data on frequency of various subfertility and disposal pattern of bulls maintained at the dairy farm, GADVASU, were collected for 12 yrs (1999 to 2010) and compiled from different record registers. Percentage of bulls that produced freezable semen (out of reserved ones) was less in cattle (25.641%) as compared to that of buffalo (30.4%). Various subfertility traits like poor libido and unacceptable seminal profile were found to be the significant reasons (p<0.01) for culling of the breeding bulls. Inadequate sex drive and poor semen quality were the main contributing factors for bull disposal in cattle whereas poor semen freezability was most frequently observed in buffalo bulls. All the male reproductive traits were significantly different (p<0.05) for the periods of birth, except for semen volume, initial motility (IM), age at last semen collection (ALSC) and age at disposal. The ages at first and last semen collection as well as freezing (i.e. AFSC, ALSC and AFSF, ALSF, respectively) and age at disposal (AD) were higher in buffalo. The spermatological parameters and semen production period (SPP) were higher in cattle. The age at first semen donation and breeding period could be reduced by introducing the bulls to training at an early age. The results revealed an increasing trend in individual motility (IM) while semen volume, AFSC, AFSF, AD, FSPP, SPP, ALSC and ALSF showed a decreasing, however, not a definite trend, over the periods. The semen donation traits like, AFSF, of the cattle and buffalo bulls could be predicted from the AFSC, using prediction equation derived in the present study.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• 제14권2호
• /
• pp.184-188
• /
• 2001

In a summer study during May to July, involving 12 young Murrah buffalo bulls at forty months of average age, the effects of multiple shower vs single shower body cooling and vitamin A, D and E supplementation on the sexual behaviour, semen quality and freezability were investigated. The animals were divided into two groups (6 animals in each group) and housed in a half-walled shed with proper spacing, the feeding management being identical. The bulls in the control group were given a single shower at 1000 h, whereas the experimental bulls were given four showers at 10,12,14 and 16 h. In addition, the experimental bulls were given vitamin A, D and E injections at fifteen day intervals. The sexual behaviour of bulls was observed in terms of reaction time, sexual aggressiveness and ejaculatory thrust. Semen quality of all the bulls was assessed in terms of volume, mass activity, live-dead sperm and sperm concentration, sperm motility and morphology, and acrosomal abnormality. The sexual behaviour did not vary significantly between the groups, whereas semen quality differed significantly for volume, per cent live sperms, total sperms per ejaculate and total live sperm per ejaculate between groups. It can be concluded that sexual behaviour was not influenced by the thermal comfort treatment coupled with periodic vitamin A, D and E injections. But the treatments improved most of the seminal traits in the experimental group of bulls. However, benefit of treatment was not reflected in the freezability traits of the semen.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• 제31권8호
• /
• pp.1119-1126
• /
• 2018

Objective: Present investigation was aimed to study the Single Nucleotide Variants of the luteinizing hormone beta ($LH{\beta}$) gene and to analyze their association with the semen quality (fresh and post-thawed frozen semen) and luteinizing hormone (LH) concentrations in Murrah buffalo bulls. Methods: Polymerase chain reaction-single stranded conformational polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) and Sanger sequencing method is used to study genetic variability in $LH{\beta}$ gene. LH assay was carried out using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. A fixed general linear model was used to analyze association of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of $LH{\beta}$ gene with semen quality in 109 and LH concentrations in 80 Murrah bulls. Results: $LH{\beta}$ gene was found to be polymorphic. Total six SNPs were identified in $LH{\beta}$ gene g C356090A, g C356113T, g A356701G, g G355869A, g G356330C, and g G356606T. Single Stranded Conformational Polymorphism variants of pattern 2 of exon 1+pattern 2 of exon 2+pattern 1 of exon 3 had highly significant (p<0.01) effect on sperm concentration (million/mL), percent mass motility, acrosome integrity and membrane integrity in fresh and frozen semen whereas significant (p<0.05) effect was observed on percent live spermatozoa. SSCP variants of pattern 2 of exon 1+pattern 2 of exon 2+pattern 1 of exon 3 had highly significant (p<0.01) effect on luteinizing hormone concentrations too. Conclusion: The observed association between SSCP variants of $LH{\beta}$ gene with semen quality parameters and LH concentrations indicated the possibilities of using $LH{\beta}$ as a candidate gene for identification of markers for semen quality traits and LH concentrations in Murrah buffaloes.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• 제23권4호
• /
• pp.450-455
• /
• 2010

The study had two objectives, namely, to estimate the andrological disorders leading to disposal of Karan Fries (KF), Sahiwal cattle and Murrah buffalo bulls and to study the effect of various factors (species/breeds, season of birth and period of birth) on male reproductive parameters. Records on occurrence of subfertility problems and disposal pattern of bulls maintained at the National Dairy Research Institute herd were collected for 15 years (1991 to 2005). Percentage of bulls producing freezable semen was less in the crossbred cattle (58.46%) as compared to Sahiwal (81.69%) and Murrah bulls (81.05%). Various subfertility traits like poor libido and unacceptable seminal profile were found to be the significant reasons (p<0.01) for culling of the breeding bulls. Inadequate sex drive was the main contributing factor for bull disposal in Sahiwal (22.55%) and Murrah bulls (15.12%) whereas poor semen quality and freezability were most frequently observed in KF bulls (24.29 and 7.29 percent, respectively). Least squares analyses of different male reproductive parameters showed that species/breeds had significant effect (p<0.05) on all traits except for frozen semen production periods (FSPP). Periods of birth were significantly different (p<0.05) for all traits except for semen volume. Age at first semen collection (AFSC), age at first semen freezing (AFSF) and age at disposal (AD) were highest in Murrah, while frozen semen production period (FSPP) and semen production period (SPP) were highest in KF and lowest in Sahiwal. The age at first semen donation and breeding period could be reduced by introducing the bulls to training at an early age. These results revealed a declining trend in AFSC, AFSF, FSPP, SPP and AD, thereby indicating an improvement in reproductive performance over the years. The age at first semen donation in bovines can be reduced by introducing the young male calves to training at an early age, which could increase the dosage of semen obtained from each male.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
• /
• 제30권2호
• /
• pp.109-114
• /
• 2015

Cryopreservation of boar semen is continually researched in reproductive technologies and genetic resource banking in breed conservation. For evaluating the boar semen quality, sperm motility (MOT) is an important parameter because the movement of spermatozoa indicates active metabolism, membrane integrity and fertilizing capacity. Various researches have been trying to improve the quality of semen post-thawed in boar. Recently, polymorphism (g.358A>T) of cluster-of-differentiation antigen 9 (CD9) gene reported to be significant association with MOT. Also, CD9 gene was expressed in the male germ line stem cells is crucial for sperm-egg fusion, and was therefore selected as candidate gene for boar semen. This study was conducted to evaluate the pig SNP (g.358A>T) of CD9 gene as a positional controlling for semen parameters of post-thawed boar semen. To results, the g.358A>T SNP of the CD9 gene was significantly associated with the traits such as MOT, curve linear velocity, straight line velocity, average path velocity and amplitude of lateral head displacement. Particularly, the g.358A>T SNP significantly has the highest association with MOT and animals with AA genotype (p<0.001). Therefore, we suggest that the g.358A>T in the intron 6 region of the porcine CD9 may be used as a molecular marker for Duroc boar Post-thawed semen quality, although its functional effect was not defined yet.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• 제5권3호
• /
• pp.439-447
• /
• 1992

Eight healthy Holstein bulls, 4-6 years old were used to study the effect of season of the year on the biophysical characteristics of semen. Semen was collected twice a week by AV (artificial vagina) over one-year period. The analyses revealed that all the basic seminal traits studied were differed significantly due to season, except the ejaculate volume and consistency and the percentage of swollen spermatozoa in a hypo-osmotic fructose-citrate solution. Ejaculates collected during hot summer season had significantly lower sperm motility, concentration and total counts, and higher percentage of dead spermatozoa than those collected during winter time. Warm spring had moderate semen quality. The temperature-humidity index was calculated and it was associated (p < 0.01) negatively with the ejaculate pH, sperm concentration and total counts, and positively with the % of dead sperms. Ejaculate volume, percentage of swollen spermatozoa, individual motilities did not correlate significantly with the change in temperature-humidity index values. The total live, motile spermatozoa per ejaculate during both the winter and spring seasons showed significant increase of about 37% and 32% respectively over the summer season. Also, rectal temperatures of the bulls were elevated during the hot summer season, while the values of blood hemoglobin and packed-cell volume were decreased.

• 한국가축번식학회지
• /
• 제20권2호
• /
• pp.197-205
• /
• 1996

This study was conducted to examine the effect of sustained release recombinant bovine somatotropin(SR-rBST) with different dosage(0, 0.03mg/kg body weight/14 day, 0.06mg/kg body weight/14 day, 0.09mg/kg body weight/14 day) on the economical traits of the semen characteristics and sexual behaviors and blood chemical values with sixteen Holstein dairy young bulls in Dairy Cattle Improvement Center of National Livestock Co-operatives Federation. Sensual testings of collected semens of Holstein young bulls were not different among treatments (p>0.05). Ejaculated semen volumes of control, SR-rBST 0.03mg, 0.06mg and 0.09mg groups were 5.6ml, 5.6ml, 6.0ml and 6.7m, respectively, but the result of SR-rBST 0.09mg group significantly increased semen volume(P<0.05). In sperm concentration, SR-rBST 0.06mg and 0.09mg groups significantly increased the total number of sperms than the other groups(P<0.05). In otherwise, SR-rBST treatments did not affect on pH, osmotic pressure, anti forzen rate, abnormality and motility of collected semen during whole experimental period. Reaction time(RT), sexual aggressiveness(SA) and tactile stimulation(TS) were not different among treatments. The libido scores(LS) of control, 0.03mg, 0.06mg and 0.09mg groups were 68.0, 80.5, 73.9 and 80.8, respectively, and LS were significantly improved by SR-rBST administration(P<0.05). The effect of SR-rBST on scrotal circumference measurement that is important factor to determine the ability of semen production, was not different among treatments. These studies indicates that SR-rBST treatments favourably affect on semen quality and sexual libido in Holstein young bull.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• 제16권4호
• /
• pp.489-493
• /
• 2003

Reproductive traits of sows are determined chiefly by the genetic background of the dam herself. Whether the breed of the serviced boars also contributes is not yet clear. A total of 8,946 litters of Landrace (L) sows from 68 farms were examined. Of these, 876, 1,260, and 6,810 litters were produced from natural mating with L, Yorkshire (Y), and Duroc (D) breeds, respectively. The birth litter size (BLS), weaning litter size (WLS), live born piglets (LBP), and survival rate % (SR), of every litter were recorded. A general linear-model procedure was followed to estimate the effects of boars' breed (B), parity (P) and B${\times}$P interaction on the reproductive traits of the sows. Results show that BLS, WLS, and LBP were all significantly (p<0.001) affected by B and P. SR% was significantly influenced by B but not by P. L sows crossbred with Y or purebred with L produced litters with higher BLS, WLS, and LBP values than those bred with D. Pure L breeding yielded litters with lower SR% than did crossbreeding with D, while the difference between SR% due to LY and that due to LD crossbreeding was not significant. The interaction of B with P was significant with respect to BLS, WLS, and LBP (p<0.001), but not SR%. No significant B effect on reproductive traits was measured in sows at their first parity; but at latter parities, LL or LY produced litters with similarly high BLS, WLS and LBP, which values were all significantly greater than those of LD litters. The breed of boar evidently affected the subsequent reproductive performance of L sows and this effect may be further manipulated by the parity effect. Breed differences in semen quality and the success of fetus development with different interactions of the genetic background with the uterus function of the sow that may contribute to these effects are discussed.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• 제32권3호
• /
• pp.320-333
• /
• 2019

Objective: The Shanghai Holstein cattle breed is susceptible to severe mastitis and other diseases due to the hot weather and long-term humidity in Shanghai, which is the main distribution centre for providing Holstein semen to various farms throughout China. Our objective was to determine the genetic mechanisms influencing economically important traits, especially diseases that have huge impact on the yield and quality of milk as well as reproduction. Methods: In our study, we detected the structural variations of 1,092 Shanghai Holstein cows by using next-generation sequencing. We used the DELLY software to identify deletions and insertions, cn.MOPS to identify copy-number variants (CNVs). Furthermore, we annotated these structural variations using different bioinformatics tools, such as gene ontology, cattle quantitative trait locus (QTL) database and ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA). Results: The average number of high-quality reads was 3,046,279. After filtering, a total of 16,831 deletions, 12,735 insertions and 490 CNVs were identified. The annotation results showed that these mapped genes were significantly enriched for specific biological functions, such as disease and reproduction. In addition, the enrichment results based on the cattle QTL database showed that the number of variants related to milk and reproduction was higher than the number of variants related to other traits. IPA core analysis found that the structural variations were related to reproduction, lipid metabolism, and inflammation. According to the functional analysis, structural variations were important factors affecting the variation of different traits in Shanghai Holstein cattle. Our results provide meaningful information about structural variations, which may be useful in future assessments of the associations between variations and important phenotypes in Shanghai Holstein cattle. Conclusion: Structural variations identified in this study were extremely different from those of previous studies. Many structural variations were found to be associated with mastitis and reproductive system diseases; these results are in accordance with the characteristics of the environment that Shanghai Holstein cattle experience.