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Optimising farm animal performance has long been the key focus of worldwide livestock production research. Advances in the understanding of metabolism/phenotype associations have outlined the central role of the lipid metabolism of farm animals for economically relevant phenotypic traits, such as animal health (immune status, fertility/reproductive capacity, adaptability/metabolic flexibility, robustness, well being) and performance aspects (meat/milk quality and quantity) and have led to an extensive exploitation of lipid metabolism manipulation strategies (e.g. tailored nutritional regimes, alimentary/intravenous fat supplementation, rumen-protected fat feeding, hormone application). This contribution gives an overview of established concepts to tailor animals' lipid metabolism and highlights novel strategies to expand these application-oriented approaches via improved analysis tools, omics-approaches, cell model systems and systems biology methods. The article reviews the current knowledge regarding associations between ruminant lipid metabolism and economically relevant animal health/performance traits. Established concepts to tailor animal lipid metabolism are summarised, and novel analytical/experimental strategies are highlighted that expand traditional application-oriented approaches via improved analysis tools, omics-approaches, cell model systems and systems biology methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report and compare the partial genomic sequence (from part of Intron 1 to part of Exon 3) of goat, sheep, cattle and water buffalo leptin (LEP) genes. Genomic DNA was obtained from leukocytes of 117 goats belonging to six breeds (Angora, Alpine, Garganica, Girgentana, Maltese and Red Syrian); 30 sheep belonging to five breeds (Altamura, Sarda, Apulian Merino, Leccese, Apennine) 50 water buffaloes and 43 Italian Friesian cattle. All the four species had a microsatellite region in Intron 1. According to the results of a population analysis, we observed 10, 5, and 2 alleles, in cattle, water buffalo and goats, respectively, in this region. No nucleotide variation was observed in sheep. The results of this study show that in Red Syrian goats the two alleles are associated with significantly different effects on β-hydroxybutyric acid (P = 0.04) and free thyroxine (P = 0.018) levels, and milk somatic cell counts (P = 0.034). The same microsatellite region was tendentially associated with variation in insulin-like growth factor-1 (P = 0.082) and triglycerides (P = 0.072) levels. The results of this study are further evidence for the role of leptin as an indicator of metabolism and mammary gland health in dairy ruminants. This study compares the partial genomic sequence of goat, sheep, cattle and water buffalo leptin (LEP) genes and evaluate the effects of the genetic variation at this locus on some metabolic, hormonal, and dairy traits in goats. All the four species showed a microsatellite region in Intron 1. Our data bring further evidence for the role of leptin as an indicator of metabolism and mammary gland health in dairy ruminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]