Genealogical structure of the Colombian Romosinuano Creole cattle.

The Romosinuano cattle breed is one of the most important Creole genetic resources in Colombia, and interesting traits like adaptation or reproductive efficiency have promoted its use in different countries in America. To consolidate the genealogical historical records, the review of very first yield records in this population was used to reconstruct the genealogy of the breed since the first animals incorporated to the in vivo germplasm bank and estimate different demographic parameters. The complete genealogy comprises 17,136 animals with 5.8 years of generation interval for two pathways. The estimated average inbreeding for the population and inbred animals was 2.53% and 6.32% respectively, with a progressive increase of inbred animals across the generations. Almost 48% of the total animals presented some level of consanguinity. Effective population size (Ne) based on the inbreeding rate estimated by regression in all generations was 120 animals whereas Ne estimated by equivalent generations was 69 animals. Effective number of founders (Fe), effective number of ancestors (Fa), and ancestors explaining 50% of variability were 75, 48, and 22, respectively. The relation between Fa/Fe of 64% indicates a genetic bottleneck effect in the population studied.

Protocolo para la certificación por conformidad genética de clones en jardines de propagación de caucho (Hevea brasiliensis) / Protocol for the certification by genetic conformity of clones in rubber propagation gardens (Hevea brasiliensis)

RESUMEN A partir de visualización por electroforesis capilar de 9 regiones micro-satélites amplificadas con cebadores fluoromarcados se determinó el polimorfismo de los marcadores Hmct5, 102, HV 30, 548, HV 15, 416, m574, 103 y 358 identificados en el ADN de muestras de tejido foliar de 12 clones de caucho (Hevea brasiliensis) conservados en jardines clonales de AGROSAVIA en Colombia y 25 clones en jardines clonales de origen en Brasil. Con base en los resultados del análisis se consolidó una base de datos que permite corroborar la identidad por conformidad de clones de caucho a partir de muestras foliares. El protocolo establecido consiste en una aproximación metodológica para la amplificación de dichas regiones micro-satélites por PCR punto final y la visualización de los fragmentos obtenidos de este procedimiento por electroforesis capilar multiplexada, reduciendo costos y optimizando el tiempo en laboratorio. Adicionalmente se encontraron discrepancias entre el perfil electroforético obtenido del clon FX 3864 muestreado en Colombia con el obtenido en Brasil. Se propone considerar la necesidad de corroborar la identidad de los clones reproducidos en jardines clonales para su comercialización en Colombia, utilizando metodologías sensibles y reproducibles, como la estandarizada en este estudio.

ABSTRACT The polymorphism of 9 regions identified in the DNA of leaf tissue sampled from 12 rubber clones conserved in clonal gardens of AGROSAVIA in Colombia and 25 clones in clonal gardens of origin in Brazil was visualized by capillary electrophoresis after amplification with the fluorolabeled primer microsatellite markers Hmct5, 102, HV 30, 548, HV 15, 416, m574, 103 and 358. Upon the results analysis, a database was consolidated that allows to corroborate the genetical identity by conformity with 37 rubber clones from leaf samples. The established protocol is a methodological approach using end-point PCR towards the amplification by multiplexed capillary electrophoresis of micro-satellite regions and their visualization, reducing costs and optimizing time in the laboratory. Additionally, discrepancies were found between the electrophoretic profile obtained from clone FX 3864 sampled in Colombia with that obtained in Brazil. It is proposed to consider the need to corroborate the identity of the clones reproduced in clonal gardens for their commercialization in Colombia, using sensitive and reproducible methodologies, such as the one standardized in this study.

Genetic parameters and trends for growth traits in Blanco Orejinegro cattle.

Since 1940, efforts have been made to preserve the Blanco Orejinegro (BON) cattle breed by maintaining gene banks. Nine years ago, a BON genetic improvement program was implemented to increase genetic gain based on control of productivity and the use of performance tests, polygenic and genomic evaluations, and selection indices. The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters and trends for growth traits by using polygenic (PM) and genomic-polygenic (GPM) models. Productive information from the years 1980 to 2019 was used. The following data were used: 7,304 birth weight (BW) records, 1,281 records of body weight adjusted to 120 days (W120), 4,791 records of weight adjusted to 240 days (W240), 3,339 records of weight adjusted to 480 days (W480), and 1,364 records of weight adjusted to 720 days (W720). The relationship matrix included 13,612 pure animals belonging to the Colombian Corporation for Agricultural Research - AGROSAVIA and the Producer Network program. A total of 1,224 individuals were genotyped with chips of different densities and all were imputed up to 50,932 SNPs. Polygenic and genomic-polygenic models were used to estimate genetic parameters and correlations between the genetic values estimated by each model. A generalized additive model with smoothing was used to estimate trends of genetic values from 1980 to 2019. Heritabilities between 0.29 and 0.40, genetic correlations between 0.13 and 0.94, and phenotypic correlations between 0.23 and 0.72 were observed. Close-to-zero genetic growth was observed for BW and W120. Genetic trends for the other traits were positive, with higher growth in the last 7 years. The heritabilities observed in this population indicate that the traits measured would respond to selection. Greater genetic progress can be achieved in W240, W480, and W720 by continuing with genetic evaluations and developing performance tests and strategies to make genetic material readily available to producers.

Using near-infrared spectroscopy to determine intramuscular fat and fatty acids of beef applying different prediction approaches.

This study aimed to predict fat and fatty acids (FA) contents in beef using near-infrared spectroscopy and prediction models based on partial least squares (PLS) and support vector machine regression in radial kernel (R-SVR). Fat and FA were assessed in 200 longissimus thoracis samples, and spectra were collected in reflectance mode from ground meat. The analyses were performed for PLS and R-SVR with and without wavelength selection based on genetic algorithms (GAs). The GA application improved the error prediction by 15% and 68% for PLS and R-SVR, respectively. Models based on GA plus R-SMV showed a prediction ability for fat and FA with an average coefficient of determination of 0.92 and ratio performance deviation of 4.8.

Transposon Insertions, Structural Variations, and SNPs Contribute to the Evolution of the Melon Genome.

The availability of extensive databases of crop genome sequences should allow analysis of crop variability at an unprecedented scale, which should have an important impact in plant breeding. However, up to now the analysis of genetic variability at the whole-genome scale has been mainly restricted to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). This is a strong limitation as structural variation (SV) and transposon insertion polymorphisms are frequent in plant species and have had an important mutational role in crop domestication and breeding. Here, we present the first comprehensive analysis of melon genetic diversity, which includes a detailed analysis of SNPs, SV, and transposon insertion polymorphisms. The variability found among seven melon varieties representing the species diversity and including wild accessions and highly breed lines, is relatively high due in part to the marked divergence of some lineages. The diversity is distributed nonuniformly across the genome, being lower at the extremes of the chromosomes and higher in the pericentromeric regions, which is compatible with the effect of purifying selection and recombination forces over functional regions. Additionally, this variability is greatly reduced among elite varieties, probably due to selection during breeding. We have found some chromosomal regions showing a high differentiation of the elite varieties versus the rest, which could be considered as strongly selected candidate regions. Our data also suggest that transposons and SV may be at the origin of an important fraction of the variability in melon, which highlights the importance of analyzing all types of genetic variability to understand crop genome evolution.

Characterization of the porcine nutrient and taste receptor gene repertoire in domestic and wild populations across the globe.

BACKGROUND: The oral GPCR nutrient/taste receptor gene repertoire consists of the Tas1r family (sweet and umami tastes), the Tas2r family (bitter taste) as well as several other potential candidate sensors of amino acids, peptones and fatty acids. Taste/nutrient receptors play a fundamental role in survival through the identification of dietary nutrients or potentially toxic compounds. In humans and rodents some variations in taste sensitivity have been related to receptor polymorphisms. Some allelic variants, in turn, have been linked to the adaptation to specific geographical locations and dietary regimes. In contrast, the porcine taste/nutrient receptor repertoire has been only partially characterized and limited information on genetic variation across breeds and geographical location exists. The present study aims at filling this void which in turn will form the bases for future improvements in pig nutrition. RESULTS: Our results show that the pig oral repertoire of taste/nutrient receptors consists of at least 28 receptor genes with significant transcription measured for 27. When compared to humans and rodents, the porcine gene sequences encoding sensors for carbohydrates, amino acids and fatty acids were highly conserved whilst the bitter taste gene family (known as Tas2rs) showed high divergence. We identified 15 porcine Tas2rs of which 13 are orthologous to human sequences. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sequence analysis using 79 pig genomes, representing 14 different breeds/populations, revealed that the Tas2r subset had higher variability (average π =2.8 × 10-3) than for non-bitter taste genes (π =1.2-1.5 × 10-3). In addition, our results show that the difference in nutrient receptor genes between Asian and European breeds accounts for only a small part of the variability, which is in contrast with previous findings involving genome wide data. CONCLUSIONS: We have defined twenty-eight oral nutrient sensing related genes for the pig. The homology with the human repertoire is high for the porcine non-bitter taste gene repertoire and low for the porcine Tas2r repertoire. Our data suggests that bitter taste is a plastic trait, possibly associated with the ability of pigs to adapt to diverse environments and that may be subject to balancing selection.

Genetic diversity and population structure of the Guinea pig (Cavia porcellus, Rodentia, Caviidae) in Colombia.

The aim was to establish the genetic diversity and population structure of three guinea pig lines, from seven production zones located in Nariño, southwest Colombia. A total of 384 individuals were genotyped with six microsatellite markers. The measurement of intrapopulation diversity revealed allelic richness ranging from 3.0 to 6.56, and observed heterozygosity (Ho) from 0.33 to 0.60, with a deficit in heterozygous individuals. Although statistically significant (p < 0.05), genetic differentiation between population pairs was found to be low. Genetic distance, as well as clustering of guinea-pig lines and populations, coincided with the historical and geographical distribution of the populations. Likewise, high genetic identity between improved and native lines was established. An analysis of group probabilistic assignment revealed that each line should not be considered as a genetically homogeneous group. The findings corroborate the absorption of native genetic material into the improved line introduced into Colombia from Peru. It is necessary to establish conservation programs for native-line individuals in Nariño, and control genealogical and production records in order to reduce the inbreeding values in the populations.

Genetic diversity and population structure of the Guinea pig (Cavia porcellus, Rodentia, caviidae) in Colombia

The aim was to establish the genetic diversity and population structure of three guinea pig lines, from seven production zones located in Nariño, southwest Colombia. A total of 384 individuals were genotyped with six microsatellite markers. The measurement of intrapopulation diversity revealed allelic richness ranging from 3.0 to 6.56, and observed heterozygosity (Ho) from 0.33 to 0.60, with a deficit in heterozygous individuals. Although statistically significant (p < 0.05), genetic differentiation between population pairs was found to be low. Genetic distance, as well as clustering of guinea-pig lines and populations, coincided with the historical and geographical distribution of the populations. Likewise, high genetic identity between improved and native lines was established. An analysis of group probabilistic assignment revealed that each line should not be considered as a genetically homogeneous group. The findings corroborate the absorption of native genetic material into the improved line introduced into Colombia from Peru. It is necessary to establish conservation programs for native-line individuals in Nariño, and control genealogical and production records in order to reduce the inbreeding values in the populations.

Caracterización molecular de tres líneas de Cavia porcellus mediante la aplicación de AFLP / Molecular characterization of three populations of Cavia porcellus with AFLP markers

Los marcadores moleculares son una herramienta eficaz para determinar variabilidad genética entre y dentro de poblaciones, pero en el caso de Cavia porcellus, no existen reportes referentes al uso de estas técnicas. Con los marcadores moleculares AFLP´s (Amplified Fragment Length Polimorphism), se analizaron tres poblaciones, dos criollas y una mejorada genéticamente, sometida a selección durante varias generaciones y obtenida a partir del cruzamiento entre animales peruanos y nativos de Nariño. Para obtener los marcadores moleculares AFLP´s (Amplified Fragment Lenght Polimorphism), se utilizaron en total cinco combinaciones de cebadores, tres combinaciones recomendadas para el orden Rodenthia y dos por la casa fabricante del Kit, de las cuales sólo una de ellas, con 116 loci, permitió establecer diferencias entre las poblaciones estudiadas, de acuerdo con el valor de distancia genética insesgada de Nei (p<0.01). Las dos poblaciones criollas constituyeron un grupo estrechamente relacionado y distante de la población mejorada genéticamente, lo que indica que los animales importados absorbieron al criollo. De acuerdo con los valores de heterocigosidad promedio, que variaron entre 0.48% y 14.48%, y el porcentaje de polimorfismo que osciló entre 0.00% y 39.65%, se deduce una baja variabilidad intrapoblacional, siendo la población mejorada genéticamente la más polimórfica. La baja variabilidad entre los animales mejorados, se explica por la intensa selección a la que han sido sometidos, mientras que en los núcleos criollos este fenómeno puede atribuirse al bajo tamaño efectivo en las dos poblaciones. Los resultados de esta investigación sugieren un replanteamiento de los programas de mejoramiento genético y conservación de los recursos genéticos autóctonos en la región.

Molecular markers are a powerful tool to determine genetic variability within and among populations, but for the Cavia porcellus there are no reports on the use of these techniques. Three populations, two native and another one, genetically improved which was obtained by crossing native and Peruvian animals and submitted to genetic selection through several generations were analyzed by means of AFLP markers. Five primer’s combinations recommended for Rodenthia were used, but only one allowed to establish significant differences (p<0.01) according to unbiased Nei´s distance Value. Both native populations were grouped in a cluster genetically distant from the genetically improved animals. This showed that foreign animals absorbed the native populations. The average heterosigosity between 0.48% and 14.48% and the percentage of polymorphisms between 0.00% and 39.65% allow to conclude that there was a low variability between the populations, but the population genetically improved was the most polymorphic. The low variability within the improved animals it can be explained because of the intensive selection procedures use with them, whereas within the native populations can be explained because of their very low populations effective size. These results suggest that there is a need to restate the genetic improvement and preservation programs of the native Cavia porcellus in the southwest region of Colombia.

Polimorfismos en la longitud de fragmentos amplificados (AFLP´s) a partir de muestras de sangre almacenadas en tarjetas FTA®para la especie Cavia porcellus Lin. (Rodentia: Caviidae). / Amplified Fragments Length Polymorphisms (AFLP´s) from blood samples stored in FTA® cards for Cavia porcellus

Una manera eficaz de establecer el grado de variabilidad entre y dentro de poblaciones, es a través del análisis de polimorfismos de ADN con marcadores moleculares como los AFLP`s. En este artículo se presenta una metodología que combina la utilización de tarjetas de FTA® (Whatman Bioscience, Cambridge) para colección y conservación de muestras de sangre, con los procedimientos de extracción de ADN y obtención de marcadores AFLP´s, aspectos sobre los cuales no existen antecedentes para la especie Cavia porcellus. Se utilizaron muestras de ADN procedentes de tres poblaciones, dos criollas y una mejorada genéticamente obtenida a partir de un pie de cría procedente del Perú y sometida a selección en Colombia durante varias generaciones. Todos los animales procedieron de la Granja “Botana”, propiedad de la Universidad de Nariño, Pasto-Colombia. Para la detección de polimorfismos en la longitud de los fragmentos (AFLP`s) se utilizaron uno, tres y cinco discos FTA® de 1.2 mm, cada disco con aproximadamente 25 ng de ADN. Los ensayos indicaron que los mejores productos de amplificación, para la visualización de AFLP´s, se obtuvieron de muestras con tres discos de FTA por individuo, lo que sugiere que con esta metodología,75 ng de ADN por animal son suficientes para detectar polimorfismos de alta calidad en el genoma de Cavia porcellus. Se recomienda el uso de las tarjetas de FTA para el estudio genético de poblaciones de Cavia porcellus, con las modificaciones metodológicas descritas en este artículo para marcadores AFLP´s.

A methodology that includes the use of FTA® (Whatman Bioscience, Cambridge) to collect and store animals` blood samples and the procedures to extract and to get AFLP markers is presented in this paper. A review of the literature indicates that there are no reports concerning both aspects for the Cavia porcellus case. To reach our goal blood samples of three populations – Two native ones and other genetically improved- were obtained through heart puncture. This blood was stored in the FTA cards in order to extract, purify, amplify and analyze their DNA forms. All of the animals came from “Botana” farm of the Universidad de Nariño, located in Pasto, Colombia. For amplifying the AFLP one, three and five 1.2 mm FTA disks of approximately 75 ng of DNA per disk where used. The tests indicated that the best products to amplify and to visualize the AFLP where those ones obtained from samples of three FTA disks per animal. This suggests that 75 ng of DNA per animal is enough to generate AFLP of high quality in the Cavia porcellus` genome. We recommend the use of FTA cards to carry out genetic analyses in the Cavia porcellus, including the methodology modifications presented in this paper.