Urgency needed to protect genetic diversity of livestock
The genetic diversity of farm animals is “at serious risk”, but both traditional and cutting-edge approaches can help preserve vital resources, say leading academics.
Genetic diversity is vital to provide “necessities of everyday living”, wrote a group of European researchers, led by Dr Michael N Romanov at the University of Kent, in an editorial for Frontiers in Genetics.
“For conservation and preservation measures, the identification and evaluation of important genetic resources is necessary,” they said.
“This requires a comprehensive characterisation of populations at risk of loss. This includes recording the phenotypes and especially those traits for which superiority and potential usefulness of the populations is anticipated.”
With the help of the latest genetic and genomic technologies, new insight can be gained into the domestication and development of breeds, they explained. This may lead to moves that allow breeds to be conserved and high-potential targets identified for breeding programmes.
Global projects showcase new methods
The latest analytical tools can build on the genetic resources created through the conventional route of sperm preservation in gene banks. The scientists pointed to recent research looking at a range of globally-common domesticated animals, which demonstrate useful approaches.
This included work from South Africa, exploring the genetic architecture underlying coat colour and patterns in Nguni cattle (pictured). A number of genes pointed to favourable characteristics in the cattle, which could help future breeding initiative. Other cattle projects included a U.S. team looking at how crossbreeding of a number of common breeds in production affected production and health parameters.
In China, whole-genome analysis of Tongcheng pigs, known for their high meat quality but lately threatened by global breeds and African swine fever, revealed their population structure and “astonishingly great” genetic diversity. The work also found genetic regions likely to be linked to disease resistance and meat quality.
Among the highlighted work involving sheep included selection signatures being identified in Merino-derived breeds in South Africa and a comprehensive genomic survey of breeds in Croatia, which should provide the groundwork for conservation plans in the country. Selection of genes linked to cashmere fineness in a Chinese goat was also noted.
In poultry, the use of next generation sequencing to characterise a highly-variable genetic region linked to immune development in Korean native chickens was highlighted; as was analysis of gene expression over time, which revealed different responses to the ubiquitous poultry parasite Eimeria.
Deeper knowledge for changing planet
Further developments in genetics and genomics should help continue the current rapid increase in knowledge, shedding light on how to preserve valuable traits in livestock in the face of major global challenges.
“Genetic diversity is necessary for future animal breeding to be flexible enough to adapt livestock populations to changing customer demands and climatic conditions,” the scientists concluded.
“Continued efforts are required to protect biodiversity, stop the loss of animal breeds, and maintain genetic diversity.”
This article first appeared on Farming Future Food
