Prevalence of chromosome anomalies in a deer farm with fertility decline in Malaysia.

Background: A number of factors are known to reduce fertility rate in animals and one of the important categories of such factors is chromosome anomalies. They can occur with or without causing phenotypic abnormalities on animals; in some cases, they may directly affect meiosis, gametogenesis and the viability of conceptus. In many instances, balanced structural rearrangements can be transmitted to offspring, affecting fertility in subsequent generations.
Aim: This work investigated the occurrence of chromosome aberrations in Rusa timorensis , Rusa unicolor and Axis axis raised in a nucleus deer farm in Malaysia with a history of declining fertility of unknown origin.
Materials & Methods: Blood samples were collected from 60 animals through venipuncture, cultured for 72 h and arrested at metaphase. SmartType ^® and Ideokar ^® software were used to karyotype the chromosomes.
Results: We found 15 out of the 60 animals screened from both sexes harbor some form of chromosome aberration. Chromosomal aberrations exist at the rate of 25% and may not be unconnected with the observed reduced fertility on the farm. Further investigations should be carried out, especially on the offspring of the studied animals to transmission of these aberrations. The animals that are confirmed to transmit the chromosomal aberrations should be culled to arrest the propagation of their abnormalities.
Competing Interests: Financial & competing interests disclosure This work is part of a PhD performed at Universiti Putra Malaysia and received a UPM grant (9617200). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. We want acknowledge Universiti Putra Malaysia for supporting the project “Improving deer fecundity through genome analysis: A study of three breeds of deer and their crosses raised at Pusat Ternakan Rusa, Lenggong, Perak (GP/2018/9617200)”, from which this publication is derived. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.
(© 2020 Universiti Putra Malaysia.)