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Yunling cattle is a new breed of beef cattle bred in Yunnan Province, China, which has the advantages of fast growth, excellent meat quality, improved tolerance ability, and important landscape value. Copy number variation (CNV) is a significant source of gene structural variation and plays a crucial role in evolution and phenotypic diversity. Based on the latest reference genome ARS-UCD2.0, this study analyzed the genome-wide distribution of CNVs in Yunling cattle using short-read whole-genome sequencing data (n = 129) and single-molecule long-read sequencing data (n = 1), and a total of 16,507 CNVs were detected. After merging CNVs with overlapping genomic positions, 3,728 CNV regions (CNVRs) were obtained, accounting for 0.61% of the reference genome. The functional analysis indicated significant enrichment of CNVRs in 96 GO terms and 57 KEGG pathways, primarily related to cell adhesion, signal transduction, neuromodulation, and nutritional metabolism. Additionally, 111 CNVRs overlapped with 76 quantitative trait loci (QTLs), including Subcutaneous fat thicknessQTL, Longissimusmuscle areaQTL, andMarbling scoreQTL. Several CNVR-overlapping genes, including BZW1, AOX1, and LOC100138449, overlap with regions associated with meat color and quality QTLs. Furthermore, Vst analysis showed that PSMB4, ERICH1, SMC2, and PPP4R3A were highly divergent between Yunling and Brahman cattle. In summary, we have constructed the genomic CNV map of Yunling cattle for the first time using whole-genome resequencing. This provides valuable genetic variation resources for the study of the Yunling cattle genome and contributes to the study of economic traits in Yunling cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Whole-genome resequencing technology is widely applicated in the genetic breeding research of beef cattle. Pinan cattle are a specialized beef cattle population bred in Henan Province for more than 30 years. It has advantages in traits such as a fast growth rate, good reproductive performance, and high slaughter rate. But the genetic variation at the genome level of Pinan cattle has not been thoroughly explored. The whole-genome resequencing of a Pinan cattle population was conducted, combined with genome resequencing data of other cattle breeds, to detect the variations at the whole-genome level. Furthermore, the population genetic diversity and structure were analyzed, and the genes and loci under positive selection affecting important traits of Pinan cattle were identified using a selective sweep strategy. This study contributes to accelerating further breeding of the economic traits such as growth and reproductive performance in Pinan cattle. The breeding of high-quality beef cattle breeds is crucial for the development of animal husbandry, and whole-genome resequencing is widely applicated in the field of molecular breeding. Advantages in growth and reproductive traits exist in Pinan cattle compared with other cattle breeds, but there is limited research on its genomic mechanism. Using whole-genome resequencing, the genetic structure and genomic selection signatures in Pinan cattle were investigated in this study. Phylogenetic, cluster, and admixture analysis results indicated that Pinan cattle have a closer genetic relationship with Kholmogory cattle and China north cattle breeds. Through a selective sweep strategy, 207 and 54 candidate genes related to growth and reproduction and immunity, respectively, were identified in the Pinan cattle population. Given the crucial role of the glutamate–cysteine ligase catalytic (GCLC) gene in muscle antioxidative defense, the high frequency of allele T of the GCLC c.429 C>T locus in the Pinan cattle population might partially contribute to the advantages of Pinan cattle in growth performance. This study laid the foundation for the genetic improvement in Chinese local beef cattle and provide background for the studies on the growth and development of Pinan cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to estimate the genetic parameters for age at first calving in Charolais and Limousine cattle breeds using animal model. The reproduction traits are influenced by genetic factors and environmental factors. The genetic factors are breed, individual and environmental factors are: climate condition and nutrition. The data consisted on 239 records for Charolais breed and 309 records for age at the first calving for Limousine breed. The data were from Romanian Breeding Association for Beef cattle. The age at the first calving was 792.92±6.77 days for Charolais breed and 813.83±6.09 days for Limousine breed. The heritability value for age at the first calving was 0.273 for Charolais and for Limousine breed was 0.275. The breeding values of cows with records for age at first calving were between −30.697 and 40.929 for Limousine breed were between −46.64 and 42.65. For improvement the reproduction traits it is necessary to improve the environmental conditions and supervision of reproduction activity in the farms and the selection of the best cows. The selection based on the breeding values of the cows determined the improvement of age at first calving. Improvement the reproduction traits increase the profitability of farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Nellore cattle (Bos taurus indicus) is the main beef cattle breed raised in Brazil. This breed is well adapted to tropical conditions and, more recently, has experienced intensive genetic selection for multiple performance traits. Over the past 43 years, an experimental breeding program has been developed in the Institute of Animal Science (IZ, Sertaozinho, SP, Brazil), which resulted in three differentially-selected lines known as Nellore Control (NeC), Nellore Selection (NeS), and Nellore Traditional (NeT). The primary goal of this selection experiment was to determine the response to selection for yearling weight (YW) and residual feed intake (RFI) on Nellore cattle. The main objectives of this study were to: 1) identify copy number variation (CNVs) in Nellore cattle from three selection lines; 2) identify and characterize CNV regions (CNVR) on these three lines; and 3) perform functional enrichment analyses of the CNVR identified. Results: A total of 14,914 unique CNVs and 1,884 CNVRs were identified when considering all lines as a single population. The CNVRs were non-uniformly distributed across the chromosomes of the three selection lines included in the study. The NeT line had the highest number of CNVRs (n = 1,493), followed by the NeS (n = 823) and NeC (n = 482) lines. The CNVRs covered 23,449,890 bp (0.94%), 40,175,556 bp (1.61%), and 63,212,273 bp (2.54%) of the genome of the NeC, NeS, and NeT lines, respectively. Two CNVRs were commonly identified between the three lines, and six, two, and four exclusive regions were identified for NeC, NeS, and NeT, respectively. All the exclusive regions overlap with important genes, such as SMARCD3, SLC15A1, and MAPK1. Key biological processes associated with the candidate genes were identified, including pathways related to growth and metabolism. Conclusion: This study revealed large variability in CNVs and CNVRs across three Nellore lines differentially selected for YW and RFI. Gene annotation and gene ontology analyses of the exclusive CNVRs to each line revealed specific genes and biological processes involved in the expression of growth and feed efficiency traits. These findings contribute to the understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying the phenotypic differences among the three Nellore selection lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yunling cattle is a new breed of beef cattle bred in Yunnan Province, China. It is bred by crossing the Brahman, the Murray Grey and the Yunnan Yellow cattle. Yunling cattle can adapt to the tropical and subtropical climate environment, and has good reproductive ability and growth speed under high temperature and high humidity conditions, it also has strong resistance to internal and external parasites and with good beef performance. In this study, we generated a high-quality chromosome-level genome assembly of a male Yunling cattle using a combination of short reads sequencing, PacBio HiFi sequencing and Hi-C scaffolding technologies. The genome assembly(3.09 Gb) is anchored to 31 chromosomes(29 autosomes plus one X and Y), with a contig N50 of 35.97 Mb and a scaffold N50 of 112.01 Mb. It contains 1.62 Gb of repetitive sequences and 20,660 protein-coding genes. This first construction of the Yunling cattle genome provides a valuable genetic resource that will facilitate further study of the genetic diversity of bovine species and accelerate Yunling cattle breeding efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Progressive ataxia is an autosomal recessive defect that is lethal due to the irreversible changes it causes to the brain and spinal cord. Only homozygous carriers of the mutated KIF1C allele manifest progressing clinical signs, mostly no earlier than 12–24 months of age. The objectives of this field study were to determine the prevalence of the mutated KIF1C allele, uncover its associations with growth and muscle conformation, and build awareness of this lethal condition among beef cattle breeders in Germany. A total of 1315 samples was sent in for mutation testing. Prevalence of the mutated KIF1C allele was 11.75%, resulting from 293 heterozygous and 8 homozygous mutant animals. Homozygous carriers of the mutated KIF1C allele showed a significant superiority in estimated breeding values for daily weight gain and muscle conformation. In order to reduce the frequency of the mutated KIF1C allele, genetic testing should be introduced for Charolais cattle and should be mandatory for all Charolais breeding bulls. It is important to create awareness of this condition among beef cattle breeders, in addition to the possibilities of preventing the number of affected animals. In addition, genetic testing of eight further beef, dual-purpose, or dairy cattle breeds revealed that two German Angus cattle showed heterozygous mutations for the KIF1C A-allele; therefore, we recommend genetic testing of German Angus to prevent the spread of the KIF1C allele. Bovine progressive ataxia in Charolais cattle was first described in the 1970s; then, cases were reported in Charolais worldwide. A homozygous loss-of-function mutation within the KIF1C gene (c.608G>A) was found to be responsible for this neurodegenerative disease. The aim of this study was to determine whether the mutated KIF1C allele segregates in the German Charolais population and whether the estimated breeding values for growth and muscle conformation are associated with the mutated genotypes. Genetic test results of the KIF1C:c.608G>A variant were available for 1315 Charolais cattle from 35 herds located in Germany. In addition, 324 samples from eight other beef cattle breeds were tested for the mutated KIF1C allele. We were able to demonstrate that the KIF1C mutation is common, with a frequency of 11.75% in the German Charolais population. All but two of the eight (2/8 = 25%) homozygous mutated individuals showed clinical signs consistent with progressive ataxia. The estimated breeding values of muscle conformation in 200- and 365-day-old animals indicated a significant superiority for homozygous mutated animals when compared either with heterozygous or homozygous wild-type genotypes; this was also the case for heterozygous genotypes in comparison with homozygous wild-type genotypes. For the estimated breeding values of daily weight gain in 200- and 365-day-old animals, the significant differences between homozygous mutated and heterozygous or wild-type genotypes were in favour of the homozygous mutant animals. There were no differences in the estimated maternal breeding values among all three KIF1C genotypes. For the first time, two German Angus cattle carrying the KIF1C mutation heterozygous were detected. The breeders' survey highlighted that increased awareness would facilitate increased conviction among breeders of the need for genetic testing in order to eliminate the lethal KIF1C allele. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies have shown that combining populations from similar or closely related genetic breeds improves the accuracy of genomic predictions (GP). Extensive experimentation with diverse Bayesian and genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP) models have been developed to explore multi-breed genomic selection (GS) in livestock, ultimately establishing them as successful approaches for predicting genomic estimated breeding value (GEBV). This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of using BayesR and GBLUP models with linkage disequilibrium (LD)-weighted genomic relationship matrices (GRMs) for genomic prediction in three different beef cattle breeds to identify the best approach for enhancing the accuracy of multi-breed genomic selection in beef cattle. Additionally, a comparison was conducted to evaluate the predictive precision of different marker densities and genetic correlations among the three breeds of beef cattle. The GRM between Yunling cattle (YL) and other breeds demonstrated modest affinity and highlighted a notable genetic concordance of 0.87 between Chinese Wagyu (WG) and Huaxi (HX) cattle. In the within-breed GS, BayesR demonstrated an advantage over GBLUP. The prediction accuracies for HX cattle using the BayesR model were 0.52 with BovineHD BeadChip data (HD) and 0.46 with whole-genome sequencing data (WGS). In comparison to the GBLUP model, the accuracy increased by 26.8% for HD data and 9.5% for WGS data. For WG and YL, BayesR doubled the within-breed prediction accuracy to 14.3% from 7.1%, outperforming GBLUP across both HD and WGS datasets. Moreover, analyzing multiple breeds using genomic selection showed that BayesR consistently outperformed GBLUP in terms of predictive accuracy, especially when using WGS. For instance, in a mixed reference population of HX and WG, BayesR achieved a significant accuracy of 0.53 using WGS for HX, which was a substantial enhancement over the accuracies obtained with GBLUP models. The research further highlights the benefit of including various breeds in the reference group, leading to enhanced accuracy in predictions and emphasizing the importance of comprehensive genomic selection methods. Our research findings indicate that BayesR exhibits superior performance compared to GBLUP in multi-breed genomic prediction accuracy, achieving a maximum improvement of 33.3%, especially in genetically diverse breeds. The improvement can be attributed to the effective utilization of higher single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker density by BayesR, resulting in enhanced prediction accuracy. This evidence conclusively demonstrates the significant impact of BayesR on enhancing genomic predictions in diverse cattle populations, underscoring the crucial role of genetic relatedness in selection methodologies. In parallel, subsequent studies should focus on refining GRM and exploring alternative models for GP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robertsonian translocation 1;29 (rob(1;29)), a widespread chromosomal anomaly affecting cattle fertility, appears to have originated from a common ancestor. This study utilizes routine SNP data to investigate the chromosomal region associated with rob(1;29) and confirm the presence of a shared haplotype among carriers in diverse Italian breeds. Three datasets were employed: Dataset 1 included 151 subjects from 5 beef cattle breeds genotyped with the GGP Bovine 33 k SNP chip; Dataset 2 encompassed 800 subjects from 32 Italian breeds genotyped with the Illumina 50 k SNP chip, sourced from the BOVITA dataset; Dataset 3 combined Dataset 2 with 21 karyologically tested subjects from breeds with a high carrier frequency, genotyped using the Affymetrix 65 K SNP chip. FST analysis pinpointed a distinctive genomic region on the first six Mb of BTA29, the centromeric region involved in the translocation. Haplotype comparisons within this non-recombining region revealed a common haplotype shared among all carriers, supporting the theory of a common ancestor. Principal component and haplotype analysis allowed clear differentiation of rob(1;29) homozygous and heterozygous carriers. Expanding to Dataset 2 revealed rob(1;29) carriers in unexpected breeds, all sharing the same ancestral haplotype. Notably, previously untested breeds, including Cinisara, exhibited a high carrier prevalence (nearly 50%), confirmed by karyological analysis. This study validates the presence of a shared haplotype among all identified rob(1;29) carriers, reinforcing the common ancestor theory as the origin of this translocation's spread throughout the cattle population. Furthermore, it underscores the potential of SNP data analysis as a rapid, accurate, and cost-effective tool for broad rob(1;29) screening, given the translocation's consistent nature across all analyzed breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Historically, Korea has been an agrarian society where cattle played a significant role in Korean culture as working animals. However, in recent decades, there has been an increase in meat demand and the expansion of the Korean economy. This shift has led to the predominant use of native Korean Hanwoo cattle for beef production since the 1960s. Genetic improvement programs for Hanwoo cattle traditionally focused on carcass and growth qualities due to the accessibility of trait information and the simplicity of analysis techniques, rather than reproductive traits. However, there has been a recent surge of interest in genetic analyses of the reproductive traits of Hanwoo cattle because these traits significantly impact calf productivity. To enhance beef production and the overall profitability of Hanwoo farming, it is imperative to implement genomic predictions for age at first calving (AFC), calving interval (CI), gestation length (GL), and number of artificial inseminations per conception (NAIPC) to better understand and improve their response to selection. This study aimed to estimate heritability and the accuracy of genomic estimated breeding values (GEBVs) using genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP) and Bayesian methods (BayesB, BayesLASSO, and BayesR) for traits under study. Our analysis revealed relatively lower heritability values for these traits and indicated that the accuracy of genomic prediction across all methods applied was similarly reduced, likely due to the inherent lower heritability of reproductive traits. As a result, the findings of this study provide valuable insights into the genetic breeding programs of the beef cattle industry. This study aimed to predict the accuracy of genomic estimated breeding values (GEBVs) for reproductive traits in Hanwoo cows using the GBLUP, BayesB, BayesLASSO, and BayesR methods. Accuracy estimates of GEBVs for reproductive traits were derived through fivefold cross-validation, analyzing a dataset comprising 11,348 animals and employing an Illumina Bovine 50K SNP chip. GBLUP showed an accuracy of 0.26 for AFC, while BayesB, BayesLASSO, and BayesR demonstrated values of 0.28, 0.29, and 0.29, respectively. For CI, GBLUP attained an accuracy of 0.19, whereas BayesB, BayesLASSO, and BayesR scored 0.21, 0.24, and 0.25, respectively. The accuracy for GL was uniform across GBLUP, BayesB, and BayesR at 0.31, whereas BayesLASSO showed a slightly higher accuracy of 0.33. For NAIPC, GBLUP showed an accuracy of 0.24, while BayesB, BayesLASSO, and BayesR recorded 0.22, 0.27, and 0.30, respectively. The variation in genomic prediction accuracy among methods indicated Bayesian approaches slightly outperformed GBLUP. The findings suggest that Bayesian methods, notably BayesLASSO and BayesR, offer improved predictive capabilities for reproductive traits. Future research may explore more advanced genomic approaches to enhance predictive accuracy and genetic gains in Hanwoo cattle breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United States beef industry is a major stakeholder in national and international agriculture and is driven by technological innovations and beef producers in all 50 states. Beef cattle breed associations are essential to the success of the industry as they not only maintain breed pedigrees but also disseminate vital information to their members. The magazines of beef cattle breed associations are a primary source of communication for U.S. beef producers. Goals for this study were to determine what information beef producers use from their beef breed association magazines, what information they want to see more of in beef breed association magazines, and if producers prefer the magazines in a print or digital format. Uses and gratifications theory, which focuses on the reasons why individuals choose to use a specific communication medium; the effect the medium has on the individual; and the gratifications received through its use, guided this study, along with gatekeeping theory. We used a descriptive quantitative survey research design to disseminate a survey instrument to members of six U.S. beef breed associations. Results revealed a large percentage of survey respondents prefer their beef breed association magazines in a print format. Additionally, results indicate that respondents use association magazines for a variety of information, and they want to see more information related to breed improvement strategies, genetic selection, and technological advancements. Results revealed insightful uses of magazine topics related to breed associations and can be used as a resource to help guide the editorial content of the magazines. We recommend beef cattle breed associations continue to provide magazine content in both print and digital formats and include editorial topics curated to the needs of the beef producers using their magazines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wagyu is recognized for producing marbled beef with high nutritional value and flavor. Reportedly, Wagyu has been widely used to improve the meat quality of local breeds around the world. However, studies on the genetic mechanism of meat quality in Wagyu at the whole‐genome level are rarely reported. Here, whole‐genome sequencing data of 11 Wagyu and 115 other individuals were used to explore the genomic variations and genes under selection pressure in Wagyu. A total of 31 349 non‐synonymous variants and 53 102 synonymous variants were identified in Wagyu. The population structure analysis showed that Wagyu had the closest genetic relationship with Mishima–Ushi cattle and was apparently separated from other cattle breeds. Then, composite likelihood ratio (CLR), integrated haplotype score, fixation index and cross‐population composite likelihood ratio (XP‐CLR) tests were performed to identify the candidate genes under positive selection in Wagyu. In total, 770 regions containing 312 genes were identified by at least three methods. Among them, 97 regions containing 27 genes were detected by all four methods. We specifically illustrate a list of interesting genes, including LRP2BP, GAA, CACNG6, CXADR, GPCPD1, KLF2, KLF13, SOX5, MYBPC1, SLC25A10, ATP8A1 and MYH15, which are associated with lipid metabolism, fat deposition, muscle development, bone development, feed intake and growth traits in Wagyu. This is the first study to explore the genomic variations and selection signatures of Wagyu at the whole‐genome level. These results will provide significant help to beef cattle improvement and breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of the study was to use a meta-analysis to identify the correlation between linear body measurements, including body length (BL), wither height (WH), heart girth (HG), and body volume (BV), and body weight in beef cattle by breed, sex, and age as categories. Materials and Methods: These results can be used as a method for predicting beef cattle body weight. This study used systematic review and meta-analysis guidelines to create a checklist. The first stage was searching for papers relevant to the study objectives. The second stage was searching using the keywords beef cattle, body weight, body measurement, and correlation. The third stage was reviewing the title and abstract. The fourth stage was abstracting information from selected papers, and the last stage was tabulating data. Results: The results from this study were obtained, and 32 papers were eligible for the meta-analysis stage. The correlation between linear body measurement and body weight of beef cattle showed that HG (r = 0.88) and BV (r = 0.97) were significantly (p < 0.05) different compared to BL (r = 0.74) and WH (r = 0.72). The correlation between HG and body weight, and the categorization of cattle breeds showed significantly (p < 0.05) different results. The correlation between BV and body weight of cattle according to breed categories showed results that were not significantly (p > 0.05) different, while age was significantly (p < 0.05). Conclusion: In conclusion, to predict beef cattle body weight, it is necessary to use HG or BV, with breed, sex, and age of cattle as categories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feed efficiency is a major constraint in the beef industry and has a significant negative correlation with residual feed intake (RFI). RFI is widely used as a measure of feed efficiency in beef cattle and is independent of economic traits such as body weight and average daily gain. However, key traits with commonality or specificity among beef cattle breeds at the same level of RFI have not been reported. Accordingly, the present study hypothesized that signatures associated with feed efficiency would have commonality or specificity in the liver of cattle breeds at the same RFI level. By comparing and integrating liver transcriptome data, we investigated the critical signatures closely associated with RFI in beef cattle using weighted co-expression network analysis, consensus module analysis, functional enrichment analysis and protein network interaction analysis. The results showed that the consensus modules in Angus and Charolais cattle were negatively correlated, and four (turquoise, red, tan, yellow) were significantly positively correlated in Angus liver, while (turquoise, red) were significantly negatively correlated in Charolais liver. These consensus modules were found to be primarily involved in biological processes such as substance metabolism, energy metabolism and gene transcription, which may be one of the possible explanations for the difference in feed efficiency between the two beef breeds. This research also identified five key candidate genes, PLA2G12B, LCAT, MTTP, LCAT, ABCA1 and FADS1, which are closely associated with hepatic lipid metabolism. The present study has identified some modules, genes and pathways that may be the major contributors to the variation in feed efficiency among different cattle breeds, providing a new perspective on the molecular mechanisms of feed efficiency in beef cattle and a research basis for investigating molecular markers associated with feed efficiency in beef cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The effect of optimized mating methods for long-term selection has not been studied in cattle breeding. In this study, the linear programming and optimal contribution selection methods on the genetic gain and inbreeding level of beef cattle were explored and evaluated using a simulation strategy. Our results showed that the linear programming method can effectively improve the genetic gain in the population during long-term selection in the breeding process, and the optimal contribution selection method can maintain a balance between improving genetic gain and controlling inbreeding level. Our findings can provide theoretical guidance for the long-term and sustainable genetic gain in breeding populations in farm animals. The optimized selection method can maximize the genetic gain in offspring under the premise of controlling the inbreeding level of the population. At present, genetic gain has been largely improved by using genomic selection in multiple farm animals. However, the design of the optimal selection method and assessment of its effects during long-term selection in beef cattle breeding are yet to be fully explored. In this study, a simulated beef cattle population was constructed, and 15 generations of simulated breeding were carried out using the linear programming breeding strategy (LP) and optimal contribution selection strategy (OCS), respectively. The truncation selection strategy (TS−I and TS−II) was used as the control. During the breeding process, genetic parameters including genetic gain, average kinship coefficient, QTL effect variance, and average observed heterozygosity were calculated and compared across generations. Our results showed that the LP method can significantly improve the genetic gain in the population, especially the genetic performance of the traits with high heritability and the traits with high weight in the breeding process, but the inbreeding level of the population is higher under LP strategy. Although the genetic gain in the population under the OCS strategy is lower than the TS−II strategy, this method can effectively control the inbreeding level of the population. Our findings also suggest that the LP and OCS method can be used as an effective means to improve genetic gain, while the OCS method is a more ideal method to obtain sustainable genetic gain during long-term selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is the etiological agent of enzootic bovine leucosis (EBL), which is the most prevalent neoplastic disease of cattle worldwide. Few studies have been conducted on BLV detection in Egypt, and it is unknown whether BLV is prevalent in some areas. BLV seroprevalence has never been identified in Beheira province. Therefore, the main objective of this research was to determine the seroprevalence of BLV among cattle in Beheira. A total of 368 cattle plasma samples (219 dairy and 149 beef) from 6 dairy farms, 1 beef farm, and 9 slaughterhouses in eight districts covering most geographical areas of Beheira were investigated using a commercial ELISA for the detection of anti-gp51 antibodies. Data were analyzed, and the risk factors associated with BLV infection were evaluated. Out of the whole samples, 44 (11.9%) tested positive for BLV, and the seroprevalence rates in dairy and beef cattle were 31/219 (14.2%) and 13/149 (8.7%), respectively. Cattle breed had a significant risk factor on BLV seroprevalence, as in Holstein cattle, it was 21.65% (OR= 3.1, P <0.004) higher than mixed local breed (8.20%) in dairy cattle. However, Colombian cattle showed the highest seroprevalence (19.15%) among tested beef cattle breeds. Additionally, neither age nor farming system had a potential risk on BLV seroprevalence in the tested dairy or beef cattle (P > 0.1). It is concluded that BLV infection is widespread among cattle in Beheira province's various localities, with a potential risk for cattle of foreign breeds to contract the BLV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limousin is a cattle breed created and selected in France, more than 150 years ago in the region of the cities of Limoges, Albussac, La Courtine in the regions of Limousin and Marche that are part of the central massif of southwestern France, through artificial and natural selection, by the way of selection of the local Blonde d'Aquitaine, distinguished by a rough constitution and used for work. Local natural and climatic conditions affected on its creation. The aim of the present study was to analyze the creation, consolidation, exterior and constitution and related selection, available gene pool and the trend of distribution of Limousin breed worldwide, in Europe, and particularly Bulgaria. This is a breed with excellent meat production qualities. The cattle of this breed are unpretentious in feeding and care, having good utilization of pastures, and have normal fertility. They are resistant to diseases, and show intensive growth. They are used for the production of lean, high-quality beef and for industrial cross-breeding. The study is based on analysis of scientific developments and concepts dedicated to beef cattle breeding. General scientific research methods, information-logical analysis of scientific and scientific-practical information were used as methodological basis for its implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feed is a very important factor in the world of animal husbandry. Subang Regency is one of the beef cattle breeding centers in West Java and even in Indonesia and occupies the top 5 beef cattle populations in Indonesia. In Subang Regency, 1,500 families depend on beef cattle and other livestock businesses for their income, with an average of 3 to 4 livestock per family. but breeders in Subang Regency only focus on conventional livestock production processes and have not touched modern livestock. so that the level of welfare of farmers in Subang Regency is still not optimal. The biggest cost for livestock in Subang Regency is still the high price of concentrate and forage feed. This research aims to increase the knowledge of beef cattle breeders through counseling and coaching regarding the management of beef cattle in terms of improving the quality of feed so that it has added value. The research was carried out in Cibogo District, Subang Regency from July to November 2022 using the focus group discussion, training and monev methods. The results of this study are that the feed problem at the smallholder farmer level is the poor quality of the feed due to the lack of knowledge of breeders on how to process and store feed. Processing and storage are applied at the farmer level, namely storing forage fodder using the silage method and increasing knowledge of feed management. Breeders who are members of a group of beef cattle and are able to develop institutional management with standards for the production and management of feed in the group. There is a positive and significant influence between the provision of assistance in making feed on increasing the welfare of farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meat cattle breeding remains a weak link in Kazakhstan's animal husbandry. The main conditions for breeding specialized beef cattle are the availability of pastures for which there is a shortage of labour. Also, one of the problems is using fields in the old-fashioned way, which leads to severe degradation. Therefore, to develop recommendations for the development of new technologies in meat cattle breeding and solving the problems mentioned above, researchers of the S. Seifullin KATRU introduced a" Smart "pasture of their design in the North Kazakhstan Agricultural Experimental Station LLP of the Akkayyn district, North Kazakhstan region, which opens up opportunities for reducing labour-intensive work due to the shortage of agricultural equipment, workers (shepherds), reducing the degradation of pastures and increasing the weight gain of animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: As one of the most valuable genetic resources of Ongole beef cattle globally, the Sumba Ongole (SO) cattle population is being studied in this investigation of myostatin (MSTN) gene polymorphism and its association with growth traits. Materials and Methods: Blood samples from 161 SO cattle were collected and analyzed. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was isolated. The DNA was electrophoresed and extracted, and finally, the annealing temperature was optimized, followed by amplification and sequencing. Next, we used a Basic local alignment search tool to assess the sequencing data. Results: The analysis revealed 22 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the MSTN gene in this region that showed genetic variation. Two SNPs, c.424 G > A, and c.467 G > C, were found to be significantly associated with SO cattle phenotypes of wither height, heart girth, and hip height (p < 0.05) but not with body weight or body length (p > 0.05). Conclusion: As a result of our findings, the MSTN gene polymorphism and its correlation with growth traits in SO cattle may be employed as a candidate marker in SO cattle and other beef cattle breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal stress due to extreme changes in the thermal environment is a critical issue in cattle production. Many previous findings have shown a decrease in feed intake, milk yield, growth rate, and reproductive efficiency of cattle when subjected to thermal stress. Therefore, selecting thermo-tolerant animals is the primary goal of the efficiency of breeding programs to reduce those adverse impacts. The recent advances in molecular genetics have provided significant breeding advantages that allow the identification of molecular markers in both beef and dairy cattle breeding, including marker-assisted selection (MAS) as a tool in selecting superior thermo-tolerant animals. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which can be detected by DNA sequencing, are desirable DNA markers for MAS due to their abundance in the genome's coding and non-coding regions. Many SNPs in some genes (e.g., HSP70, HSP90, HSF1, EIF2AK4, HSBP1, HSPB8, HSPB7, MYO1A, and ATP1A1) in various breeds of cattle have been analyzed to play key roles in many cellular activities during thermal stress and protecting cells against stress, making them potential candidate genes for molecular markers of thermotolerance. This review highlights the associations of SNPs within these genes with thermotolerance traits (e.g., blood biochemistry and physiological responses) and suggests their potential use as MAS in thermotolerant cattle breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review has described factors affecting a particular situation in Poland, current opportunities and challenges in the implementation and recognition of Polish red cattle (PRC) as beef production. This knowledge may be are an essential tool as part of strategic planning in this context. PRC are one of the few red cattle breeds indigenous in Europe. Several desirable features characterize them: high disease resistance, good health and fertility, longevity, the nutritional value of milk and meat and disadvantageous - very low milk productivity. Currently, by implementing the new - meat direction of PRC, breeders who keep this breed for dairy purposes do not experience problems with selling cattle suckers for further breeding for meat purposes, which is financially reasonable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the literature relevant to the breeding of cattle grazed in tropical environments and particularly Indonesia. The aim is to identify new breeding opportunities for cattle owned by Indonesia's smallholder farmers, whilst also conserving unique local cattle beef breeds. Crossbreeding has been practiced extensively in Indonesia, but to date there have been no well-designed programs, resulting in many mixed-breed animals and no ability to determine their genetic composition, productive capabilities or adaptation to environmental stressors. An example of within-breed selection of Bali cattle based on measured live weight has similarly disregarded other productive and adaptive traits. It is unlikely that smallholder farmers could manage effective crossbreeding programs due to the complexities of management required. However, a tropically adapted composite breed(s) could perhaps be developed and improved using within-breed selection. Establishing reference population(s) of local breeds or composites and using within-breed selection to genetically improve those herds may be feasible, particularly if international collaborations can be established to allow data-pooling across countries. The use of genomic information and a strong focus on all economically important traits in practical breeding objectives is critical to enable genetic improvement and conservation of unique Indonesian cattle breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to assess the potential of 21 bp mutation in the second intron of the GSN gene as a molecular marker-assisted by exploring the effect of 21 bp mutation on growth traits in four beef cattle breeds. Gelsolin (GSN), a member of the superfamily of gel proteins, is involved in the regulation of a variety of cellular activities in the organism and plays an important function in cell motility, apoptosis, signal transduction and inflammatory responses. Gelatin can not only negatively regulate the pro-apoptotic effect of P53 protein, but also promote apoptosis by blocking the interaction between actin and deoxyribonuclease, so, the GSN gene was selected as a candidate gene in this study. In this study, a 21 bp mutation on the second intron to the GSN gene was verified in 573 individuals of Yunling (YL, n = 220), Jiaxian (JX, n = 140), Xianan (XN, n = 114) and Qinchuan (QC, n = 97) cattle breeds using Once PCR and agarose gel electrophoresis. The association analysis of polymorphisms in the GSN gene with growth traits in four breeds was revealed: in YL cattle, the heart girth and forehead size of heterozygous ID genotype were significantly higher than II genotype (P < 0.05). In JX cattle, the withers height, body length and heart girth of II and ID genotype were significantly highest than DD genotype (P < 0.01); the height at hip cross and height at sacrum of II genotype was significantly highest than DD genotype (P < 0.01), but ID genotype was significantly higher than DD genotype. In XN cattle, the abdominal girth and circumference of the cannon bone of II genotype were significantly higher than ID genotype (P < 0.05). In QC cattle, the hucklebone width of ID genotype was significantly the highest than II genotype (P < 0.01). The results suggest that GSN may be an important candidate gene and that a 21 bp mutation on the second intron to the GSN gene can be used for molecular marker-assisted selection of four beef cattle breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This article aims to develop a new approach to the lifetime evaluation of cattle by 3-D visualization of economic-biological and genetic features. The following indicators were selected as phenotypic features: chest width and chest girth retrieved by 3-D model and meat output on the bones. Correlation analysis showed a reliable positive relationship between chest width and meat output on the bones, which can potentially be used for lifetime evaluation of meat productivity of animals. Genome-wide associations analysis revealed the following potential loci of quantitative traits on cattle chromosomes for chest width, chest girth, and meat output on bones. In beef cattle breeding, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) arrays can reveal many loci of various production traits, such as growth, productivity, and meat quality. With the development of genome sequencing technologies, new opportunities are opening up for more accurate identification of areas associated with these traits. This article aims to develop a novel approach to the lifetime evaluation of cattle by 3-D visualization of economic-biological and genetic features. The purpose of this study was to identify significant variants underlying differences in the qualitative characteristics of meat, using imputed data on the sequence of the entire genome. Samples of biomaterial of young Aberdeen-Angus breed cattle (n = 96) were the material for carrying out genome-wide SNP genotyping. Genotyping was performed using a high-density DNA chip Bovine GPU HD BeadChip (Illumina Inc., San Diego, CA, USA), containing ~150 thousand SNPs. The following indicators were selected as phenotypic features: chest width and chest girth retrieved by 3-D model and meat output on the bones. Correlation analysis showed a reliable positive relationship between chest width and meat output on the bones, which can potentially be used for lifetime evaluation of meat productivity of animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study assessed the effects of breed and feed efficiency on rumen microbiota in a total of 96 beef steers, with three breeds and divergent residual feed intakes. The abundance and activity of the total bacteria, archaea, protozoa, and fungi in the rumens were estimated by measuring the copy numbers of their respective marker genes at both DNA (abundance) and RNA (activity) levels. Our results evidence the effect of breed on four microbial groups. Past studies have been mainly focused on bacteria and archaea, yet ours is the first study to reveal the effect of breed (host genetics) on rumen eukaryotes, suggesting that host genetics can regulate the rumen microbiota as a whole, highlighting the potential of manipulating and obtaining desirable and efficient rumen microbiota using breeding and genetic selection. To assess the effects of residual feed intake (RFI) and breed on rumen microbiota, the abundance (DNA) and active population (RNA) of the total bacteria, archaea, protozoa, and fungi in the rumen of 96 beef steers from three different breeds (Angus (AN), Charolais (CH), and Kinsella Composite (KC)), and divergent RFIs (High vs Low), were estimated by measuring their respective maker gene copies using qRT-PCR. All experimental animals were kept under the same feedlot condition and fed with the same high-energy finishing diet. Rumen content samples were collected at slaughter and used for the extraction of genetic material (DNA and RNA) and further analysis. There was a significant difference (p < 0.01) between the marker gene copies detected for abundance and active populations for all four microbial groups. AN steers had a higher abundance of bacteria (p < 0.05) and a lower abundance of eukaryotes (protozoa and fungi, p < 0.05) compared to KC steers, while the abundance of protozoa (p < 0.05) in the AN cattle and fungi (p < 0.05) in the KC cattle were lower and higher, respectively, than those in the CH steers. Meanwhile, the active populations of bacteria, archaea, and protozoa in the KC steers were significantly lower than those in the AN and CH animals (p < 0.01). This work demonstrates that cattle breed can affect rumen microbiota at both the abundance and activity level. The revealed highly active protozoal populations indicate their important role in rumen microbial fermentation under a feedlot diet, which warrants further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Genetic improvement is one of the most important keys to overcoming the shortcomings of beef production. Identifying molecular markers related to growth characteristics and meat quality is significant in improving beef cattle breeds. Studies have shown that KAT2B, a transcriptional co-activator regulating the acetylation modification of histones, may be involved in the development and metabolism of muscle and adipose. However, there are no reports on investigating KAT2B genetic variation in Chinese native cattle. Firstly, this manuscript reports the initial bioinformatics analysis of KAT2B, finding that KAT2B protein is highly conserved among ruminants. The KAT2B gene expression profile in Qinchuan cattle was characterized, showing the spatiotemporal specificity of KAT2B gene expression in tissues such as adipose and liver during fetal and adult periods. Then, the investigation of KAT2B gene polymorphisms was carried out. Three SNPs of the KAT2B gene were identified and were found to be correlated with multiple body measurements in Fu, Qinchuan, Yak, and Chaidam cattle. These findings suggest that these three SNPs of KAT2B can serve as the molecular markers to select individuals for beef cattle breed improvement. Identifying molecular markers related to growth characteristics or meat quality is significant for improving beef cattle breeds. K(lysine) acetyltransferase 2B (KAT2B) is a transcriptional co-activator regulating the acetylation modification of histones, which may be involved in the development and metabolism of muscle and adipose. However, investigations of KAT2B genetic variations in Chinese native cattle are still limited. This study aimed to identify crucial single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) influencing the body measurements of Chinese native cattle. Biological evolution and conservation analysis showed that KAT2B was highly conserved among the ruminants. By qPCR assay, KAT2B gene expression was found to be spatiotemporally specific in bovine tissues such as adipose and liver. By the RFLP-PCR method, three SNPs of KAT2B (g.T61908C, g.T62131C, and g.C73406T) were identified in 827 individuals of four Chinese cattle breeds, including Qinchuan (n = 658), Fu (n = 52), Yak (n = 48), and Chaidam (n = 69) cattle. Association analysis between these KAT2B polymorphisms and the body measurements of Chinese native cattle revealed significant observations. The genetic effects of g.T61908C, g.T62131C, and g.C73406T on the associated phenotypes were illustrated in each breed. In Qinchuan cattle, g.T62131C was significantly associated with better body height, chest width, hip width, and withers height, for which TC and/or TT were the advantageous genotype. In Fu cattle, TT genotype of g.T61908C was associated to better body length, while individuals with TT or CC of g.T62131C showed higher circumference of cannon bone than those with TC genotype. In Yak, individuals with TT genotype of g.C73406T had heavier body weight. In Chaidam cattle, TC genotype of g.C73406T was associated to superior body weight, while CC genotype of g.C73406T was associated to superior chest girth and circumference of cannon bone. These findings suggest that KAT2B gene polymorphisms can be used as the molecular markers for the early molecular marker-assisted selection in beef cattle breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purunã is a composite beef cattle breed, developed in Southern Brazil by crossing the Angus, Charolais, Canchim, and Caracu breeds. The goal of this study was to perform the first genetic characterization of the Purunã breed, based on both pedigree and genomic information. For this, 100 randomly selected animals were genotyped, and 11,205 animals born from 1997 to 2019 had pedigree information. The genetic analyses performed were principal component analysis, admixture, phylogenic tree, pedigree and genomic inbreeding, linkage disequilibrium (LD), effective population size (Ne), consistency of the gametic phase, runs of homozygosity (ROH), heterozygosity-enriched regions (HERs), and functional analyses of the ROH and HER regions identified. Our findings indicate that Purunã is more genetically related to the Charolais, Canchim, and Angus breeds than Caracu or Nellore. The levels of inbreeding were shown to be small based on all the metrics evaluated and ranged from −0.009 to 0.029. A low (−0.12–0.31) correlation of the pedigree-based inbreeding compared to all the genomic inbreeding coefficients evaluated was observed. The LD average was 0.031 (±0.0517), and the consistency of the gametic phase was shown to be low for all the breed pairs, ranging from 0.42 to 0.27 to the distance of 20 Mb. The Ne values based on pedigree and genomic information were 158 and 115, respectively. A total of 1,839 ROHs were found, and the majority of them are of small length (<4 Mb). An important homozygous region was identified on BTA5 with pathways related to behavioral traits (sensory perception, detection of stimulus, and others), as well as candidate genes related to heat tolerance (MY O 1A), feed conversion rate (RDH5), and reproduction (AMDHD1). A total of 1,799 HERs were identified in the Purunã breed with 92.3% of them classified within the 0.5–1Mb length group, and 19 HER islands were identified in the autosomal genome. These HER islands harbor genes involved in growth pathways, carcass weight (SDCBP), meat and carcass quality (MT2A), and marbling deposition (CISH). Despite the genetic relationship between Purunã and the founder breeds, a multi-breed genomic evaluation is likely not feasible due to their population structure and low consistency of the gametic phase among them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Aubrac is a French breed of domestic beef cattle, becoming a major interest for cattle breeders in our country. Being a large breed of cattle, cows weigh is between 650-800 kilograms and bulls between 1,000-1200 kg. Body conformation is one of the main criteria for assessing bovine animals from a zootechnical and economic point of view. The notion of body conformation in cattle means the overall external appearance of the examined bovine, with reference to the development of each body region separately. The method of body measurements consists in the direct measurement, on the animal, of the different body and mass dimensions. With the help of these measurements, we can appreciate the development and connection of different body regions or segments that make up the whole body and the general development of the animal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article evaluates the development of the Internet of Things (IoT), digital technologies, various types of biological and biometric sensors and blockchain technologies in dairy and beef cattle breeding. The peculiarities, tendencies and perspectives for digital transformation and digitalization of the cattle farms and complexes have been studied. Precise technologies (PFL) make it possible to collect a sufficient cloud of data in accordance with the physiological and technological requirements of the various categories of animals of the species Bos taurus and the welfare of cattle. Biological and biometric sensors help farmers to increase the quantity and improve the quality of their products. Blockchain technologies present cattle breeding in detail, as transparent, stable and predictable in the eyes of the consumer. Cattle breeding is a sub-sector of animal husbandry in which there is no integration, but flexible digital management is applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important for beef cattle breeding to ensure responsible animal husbandry and food production, which entails economic, social and environmental implications. Furthermore, it is essential to guarantee a genetic resource prepared for the different challenges of our times. This study includes information about beef cattle breeding in Bulgaria, and describes the characteristics of the Galloway breed. The numerical data presented in the study are based on the available information included in various references in the Agrostatistics database of the Ministry of Agriculture and Foods, agrarian reports of the same ministry and the Executive Agency for Selection and Reproduction in Animal Breeding (EASRAB). The Galloway breed is one of the oldest and purest of local cattle breeds. They are known for their resilience and can subsist on the scarcest of lands, which is important under the conditions of current climatic and other challenges. Regarding the Genetic Reserve and the Gen Bank, registered by the EASRAB, the available information shows that there is no registered reserve and genetic bank for the Galloway breed in Bulgaria. This requires further studies and proposals for the inclusion of the Galloway breed in the selection and reproduction aimed at the development of sustainable beef cattle farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Robertsonian translocation 1/29 (rob(1;29)) is the most worldwide widespread chromosomal abnormality in domestic animals. Previous studies have demonstrated its negative effect on fertility in dairy herds, but not in beef cattle extensively bred. In this study, we analysed the effect of rob(1;29) in a Retinta cattle breed data set gathered during the last 30 years. The data presented herein include rob(1;29) analysis of 11,505 cows from 251 herds, pedigree information of 24,790 animals and 67,457 calving records. Fertility was evaluated using estimated breeding values for the reproductive efficiency (Re), calculated as the percentage ratio between the number of calvings of an individual and the number expected in an optimal situation. Our results showed that cows carrying the heterozygote genotype showed a significant decrease in their Re (−5.10%, p <.001). No decrease was detected in free rob(1;29) animals and homozygous carriers. In addition, the incidence of rob(1;29) in the breed fertility was decreased to very low values after 30 years of avoiding selection of bulls' carrier as stallions. The effect of rob(1;29) on cattle fertility is only significant when the prevalence of carrier individuals is high. Selecting against the disease only by the paternal side reduced the incidence to negligible values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The present paper evaluates the colour range obtained at the current stage of development of the industrial cross-breeding in dairy and beef cattle breeding in the agricultural sector. A definition is given for simple and complex colours of the skin and hair coat of cattle. The peculiarities and specifics of the different characteristics of the cattle species were studied. Proper industrial cross-breeding is the basis for the optimization of technological processes in cattle breeding. It allows to gather certain information needed to make optimal decisions, to release significant food resources and reduce the cost price of cattle production. The conducted descriptive and retrospective analysis shows that the problems are solvable when guidelines are drawn on how to maintain an onetype, colour model of the obtained crossings, using different systems of cross-breeding. Breeding by colour of the hair coat should be balanced by selection on other economic and physiological traits. The elite, purebred cattle breedscrossings, realize quality, vital and functional crossings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growth and carcass traits are the main breeding objectives in beef cattle. The aim of this study was to confirm genetic effects of the c.*188G>A SNP of AKIRIN2, the g.231054C>T SNP of TTN, the g.1471620G>T SNP of EDG1 and the g.70014208A>G SNP of MYBPC1 on growth and carcass traits in Chinese Qinchuan (QC) cattle, as well as to compare the frequencies of the well-characterized alleles of these SNPs among six Chinese cattle populations, three Japanese cattle populations, two European cattle populations and one Korean cattle population. In this study, a total of 665 cattle samples were genotyped using MassARRAY and PCR-RFLP. Association analysis explored effects of four SNPs on growth and carcass traits including body length, wither height, hip height, hip width, rump length, chest depth, chest circumference, back fat thickness, ultrasound longissimus muscle area and ultrasound longissimus muscle depth in QC (P<0.05 to P<0.001). The well-characterized A (c.*188G>A), T (g.231054C>T) and T (g.1471620G>T) alleles in Japanese Black cattle were significantly higher than Chinese cattle breeds; on the contrary, the G allele (g.70014208A>G) was markedly higher in Chinese cattle breeds than other cattle breeds. These results suggest that the four SNPs might be useful as a molecular marker for growth-related traits in Chinese QC cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with transformations in beef cattle breeding practices in North America from 1950 to 2000, and the implication of these changes across the Western world. It was a period of profound adjustment for beef cattle breeders, involving battles over genetic defects, the importation of new breeds, changing standards in relation to husbandry, and the extension of quantitative genetic breeding practices. These innovations would be echoed across Europe in the production of beef cattle and would also interact with the way dairy cattle were bred. This article explains the upheaval in beef breeding between 1950 and 2000, as well as how that upheaval affected dairy cattle breeding. Changes in beef breeding, in effect, modified the functioning of the entire cattle breeding world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Genomic prediction is the use of genomic data in the estimation of genomic breeding values (GEBV) in animal breeding. In beef cattle breeding programs, genomic prediction increases the rates of genetic gain by increasing the accuracy of selection at earlier ages. Aims: The objectives of the study were to examine the effect of single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) density and to evaluate the effect of using SNPs preselected from imputed whole-genome sequence for genomic prediction. Methods: Genomic and phenotypic data from 2110 Hanwoo steers were used to predict GEBV for marbling score (MS), meat texture (MT), and meat colour (MC) traits. Three types of SNP densities including 50k, high-density (HD), and whole-genome sequence data and preselected SNPs from genome-wide association study (GWAS) were used for genomic prediction analyses. Two scenarios (independent and dependent discovery populations) were used to select top significant SNPs. The accuracy of GEBV was assessed using random cross-validation. Genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP) was used to predict the breeding values for each trait. Key results: Our result showed that very similar prediction accuracies were observed across all SNP densities used in the study. The prediction accuracy among traits ranged from 0.29 ± 0.05 for MC to 0.46 ± 0.04 for MS. Depending on the studied traits, up to 5% of prediction accuracy improvement was obtained when the preselected SNPs from GWAS analysis were included in the prediction analysis. Conclusions: High SNP density such as HD and the whole-genome sequence data yielded a similar prediction accuracy in Hanwoo beef cattle. Therefore, the 50K SNP chip panel is sufficient to capture the relationships in a breed with a small effective population size such as the Hanwoo cattle population. Preselected variants improved prediction accuracy when they were included in the genomic prediction model. Implications: The estimated genomic prediction accuracies are moderately accurate in Hanwoo cattle and for searching for SNPs that are more productive could increase the accuracy of estimated breeding values for the studied traits. In beef cattle breeding programs, the major benefits of genomic selection is selecting young animals for meat quality without killing the selected candidates. The objectives of the study were to examine the effect of SNP density and to evaluate the effect of using SNPs preselected from imputed whole-genome sequence for genomic prediction. Our results showed that various marker densities yielded a similar prediction accuracy; however, the inclusion of preselected markers in the prediction analysis improved prediction accuracy in beef cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, GeneSeek GGP-LDv4 33k single nucleotide polymorphism chip was used to detect runs of homozygosity (ROH) in eight Italian beef cattle breeds, six breeds with distribution limited to Tuscany (Calvana, Mucca Pisana, Pontremolese) or Sardinia (Sarda, Sardo Bruna and Sardo Modicana) and two cosmopolitan breeds (Charolais and Limousine). ROH detection analyses were used to estimate autozygosity and inbreeding and to identify genomic regions with high frequency of ROH, which might reflect selection signatures. Comparative analysis among breeds revealed differences in length and distribution of ROH and inbreeding levels. The Charolais, Limousine, Sarda, and Sardo Bruna breeds were found to have a high frequency of short ROH (~ 15.000); Calvana and Mucca Pisana presented also runs longer than 16 Mbp. The highest level of average genomic inbreeding was observed in Tuscan breeds, around 0.3, while Sardinian and cosmopolitan breeds showed values around 0.2. The population structure and genetic distances were analyzed through principal component and multidimensional scaling analyses, and resulted in a clear separation among the breeds, with clusters related to productive purposes. The frequency of ROH occurrence revealed eight breed-specific genomic regions where genes of potential selective and conservative interest are located (e.g. MYOG, CHI3L1, CHIT1 (BTA16), TIMELESS, APOF, OR10P1, OR6C4, OR2AP1, OR6C2, OR6C68, CACNG2 (BTA5), COL5A2 and COL3A1 (BTA2)). In all breeds, we found the largest proportion of homozygous by descent segments to be those that represent inbreeding events that occurred around 32 generations ago, with Tuscan breeds also having a significant proportion of segments relating to more recent inbreeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Beef cattle breeds in Australia can broadly be broken up into two subspecies, namely, Bos indicus and Bos taurus. Due to the time since divergence between the subspecies, it is likely that mutations affecting quantitative traits have developed independently in each. Aims. We hypothesise that this will affect the prediction accuracy of genomic selection of admixed and composite populations that include both ancestral subspecies. Our study investigates methods to quantify population stratification in a multibreed population of tropically adapted heifers, with the aim of improving prediction accuracy of genomic selection for reproductive maturity score. Methods. We used genotypes and reproductive maturity phenotypes from 3695 tropically adapted heifers from three purebred populations, namely, Brahman, Santa Gertrudis and Droughtmaster. Two of these breeds, Santa Gertrudis and Droughtmaster, are stabilised composites of varying B. indicus · B. taurus ancestry, and the third breed, Brahman, has predominately B. indicus ancestry. Genotypes were imputed to three marker-panel densities and population stratification was accounted for in genomic relationship matrices by using breed-specific allele frequencies when calculating the genomic relationships among animals. Prediction accuracy and bias were determined using a five-fold cross validation of randomly selected multibreed cohorts. Key results. Our results showed that the use of breed-adjusted genomic relationship matrices did not improve either prediction accuracy or bias for a lowly heritable trait such as reproductive maturity score. However, using breedadjusted genomic relationship matrices allowed the capture of a higher proportion of additive genetic effects when estimating variance components. Conclusions. These findings suggest that, despite seeing no improvement in prediction accuracy, it may still be beneficial to use breed-adjusted genomic relationship matrices in multibreed populations to improve the estimation of variance components. Implications. As such, genomic evaluations using breed-adjusted genomic relationship matrices may be beneficial in multibreed populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work reviews the most important aspects of the characterization of the Aubrac beef cattle breed. Into the Romania, this cattle breed was first imported in 2013, from France, after an extensive initial documentation. According to data published by M.A.D.R. in 2018, 808 Aubrac heads were registered, currently more than 2000 heads were registered. Aubrac is an old breed from France, originating from the Aubrac Mountains (southern Central Massif), which in the last 4 years has become an important object of interest for beef cattle breeders in our country. The meat obtained from Aubrac cattle has a beautiful red, intensely marbled, with a high protein content and its subtle aromas makes it one of the tastiest and most appreciated beef. This paper wants to emphasize that the exploitation of this breed in our country could bring great benefits to farmers, being a breed adaptable to environmental conditions in Romania and with extraordinary meat qualities. The paper also reviews the most relevant information in the literature on the Aubrac beef cattle breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The CNV region was identified in Qinchuan cattle, Xiannan cattle, Yunling cattle, Ji'an cattle, Jiaxian Red cattle, Qaidam cattle, and Guyuan yellow cattle of STAT5A gene. • The STAT5A gene has important influence on the growth traits of JX, GY, QD and QC cattle. • Distribution of the Copy Number Variation in seven different Cattle Breeds. CNVs, which are a type of structural variation, make a substantial impact on diverse characteristics in multiple species. Q-PCR and data association analysis were used for STAT5A gene copy in this study. This study aimed to investigate the copy number variation (CNV) of the STAT5A gene in seven Chinese cattle breeds, namely Qinchuan cattle, Xianan cattle, Yunling cattle, Ji'an cattle, Jiaxian Red cattle, Qaidam cattle, and Guyuan yellow cattle. Blood samples were collected for CNV typing, and the correlation between CNV type and growth traits was analyzed using SPSS 23.0 software and ANOVA. The findings revealed variations in the distribution of different copy number types among the different cattle breeds. Furthermore, association analysis demonstrated a positive impact of CNV in the STAT5A gene on cattle growth: in the JX, individuals with duplication types exhibited superior performance in terms of rump length (P < 0.05). Conversely, normal GY cattle demonstrated better body height and abdomen circumference (P < 0.05), while QD cattle exhibited a significant correlation between weight and body length with normal individuals (P < 0.05). Moreover, QC bovine duplication individuals outperformed other types, with copy number variation significantly associated with chest depth, chest width, and body length (P < 0.05). The results validate the correlation between copy number variation (CNV) of the STAT5A gene and growth characteristics in five different cattle breeds, providing a reliable benchmark for the purpose of cattle breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The changes made in the composition and structure of beef cattle breeding in Bulgaria, impose along with research in the field of nutrition, technology and meat productivity to study the skin as a raw material for various branches of light industry. The relative weight, the percentage of the living mass of skin, the sizes, the thickness of skin in different areas were studied and skin area in fattened male Simmental, Limousine, Hereford and Aberdeen Angus calves slaughtered at 15 months of age. There are significant differences in the studied quality indicators of raw skin. The highest is the relative weight of the raw skin of calves of the Simmental breed, which showed the heaviest 38.9 kg and thick skin-6.94 mm at point “O” and 6.71mm at point “H”. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigation of the compositional and functional characteristics of the gastrointestinal bacterial community in beef cattle breeds can improve our understanding of the influence of gastrointestinal tract (GIT) regions and host breeds on the bacterial community. In this study, 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) gene amplicon sequencing was used to characterize the bacterial communities in the rumen, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, caecum, and colon of Xuanhan yellow cattle (XHC) and Simmental crossbred cattle (SXC). The results showed that the diversity of the bacterial population was different in GIT regions of XHC and SXC (P < 0.05). In total, ten bacterial phyla, sixteen bacterial genera, and nine metabolic pathways were identified in the core bacteria. The phyla Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria were predominant, but their proportions were different in GIT regions (P < 0.05). The diversity, structure, and composition of the bacteria in the rumen were similar between the breeds (P > 0.05), and the indices in the intestine showed significant differences (P < 0.05). Moreover, the composition and structure of the bacterial communities in the rumen, small intestine, and large intestine were different regardless of the breed. Thus, the bacterial communities were different among the gastrointestinal regions in each breed, and the bacterial community in the rumen had more stable characteristics than that in the intestine between two breeds. Further studies may focus on the minor microbial communities and the functions of GIT bacteria to better understand gut–microbe interactions. Key points: •Differences in bacteria among gastrointestinal regions differ in cattle breeds. • Differences between the breeds in the ruminal bacteria are less pronounced than differences in the intestinal bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]