ABSTRACT
Lactogenesis is a complex physiology and an outcome of a successful reproductive cycle in mammalians. The purpose itself is to nourish the newborn with the nutrients necessary for its protection and growth a continuation from the in utero survival strategy. Thus, mammary development and physiology are intriguingly linked to the uterine changes that happen in a normal reproductive individual. Milk is a highly nutritious food that also favours the growth of microorganisms that can enter through the bloodstream or the discharge system. Briefly, the mastitis-induced release of inflammation mediators such as cytokines, interleukins, and prostaglandin F2? are established to be associated with infertility. Before breeding, mastitis can disrupt hormonal patterns (depression of estradiol production, delayed surge of luteinizing hormone) and delay ovulation. The issue of clinical mastitis is obvious but when subclinical mastitis persists for long the problem gets compounded. Thus, microbes get easily established in the mammary glands of buffaloes whose udder and teat anatomy, love for dirt, and swamp to wallow makes them more vulnerable exposing them to various kinds of pathogenic and opportunistic microbes. Buffaloes, by nature, have issues with silent heat, seasonal anestrus, more sensitive to direct radiation heat stress when faced with a pathological attack of infectious microbes in the milk chamber compromises their fertility.
ABSTRACT
Background: Poor reproductive efficiency of river buffalos hampers the production capabilities of animals. Buffalos are mainly considered poor breeders owing to the constrained expression of estrus behavior. Failure to display heat signs is an indication of improper functionality of signaling peptides to trigger on a series of behavioral changes, which can be detectable by breeders for timely insemination of females. This might cause an animal to be a repeat breeder. Genomic variations underlying synthesis of signaling peptides can be a useful marker to select superior animals with better reproductive efficiency. In this context, the current study was designed to analyze the CYP19A1 gene in Nili-Ravi buffalo. Results: A total of 97 animals were selected and were divided into two groups on the basis of their heat score. PCR amplification and sequencing of the amplicons were performed using the specific sets of primer, and then, sequences were analyzed for novel variants. A total of 11 polymorphic sites were identified illustrating phenotypic variation in the heat score. Most of the loci were found homologous. Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) were analyzed for association with silent estrus. A three-dimensional protein model was also generated to locate the position of exonic SNPs. Conclusion: This study illustrated that polymorphic sites in the CYP19A1 gene provided potential markers for selection of buffalos with better estrus behavior.