A group of scientists have identified a marker gene for heat tolerance in cattle which can go a long way in mitigating the impacts of climate change on the livestock.
The marker gene, christened ATP1A1, has been found in a collaborative study by a multidisciplinary team of researchers from Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU), the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and Australia. The findings were recently published in Animals, an international journal published from Switzerland.
“The world is warming. We need animals that can tolerate warming climate. One way to address the issue is selecting heat-tolerant animals. Identification of marker genes is an important step in selecting a superior germplasm that can resist increasing heat,” says Muhammed Elayadeth-Meethal, Assistant Professor, Department of Animal Genetics, KVASU, the lead author of the study.
Livestock in general are both contributor and victim of global warming. Animal production contributes to global warming as livestock produce the major share of greenhouse gases such as methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide. Enhanced heat and humidity also causes stress to animals. Termed heat stress, it accounts for loss in growth, production, and reproductive efficiency.
The research was done by comparing heat tolerance of Vechur, an endemic dwarf bovine breed of the State, and cross-bred cattle. The research team is now aiming to utilise the findings for breeding climate-smart animals.
“We live in a climate-changing world which needs to mitigate and adapt. The Global Farm Platform was established to link multidisciplinary research and farm facilities across the planet to seek solutions for sustainable ruminant livestock production in light of these growing challenges and threats,” Prof. Michael Lee, senior author and former Head of Site, Rothamsted Research, UK, says.
“This work to seek an understanding of the mechanisms for heat tolerance within cattle will help provide a pathway to realise greater selection of animals which are more suited to heat stress and therefore improve animal performance, which will ultimately reduce emissions and improve animal welfare,” says Dr. Lee, who is at present Deputy Vice Chancellor of Harper Adams University, U.K.
“In the study, it was found that ATP1A1 expression was significantly associated with heat tolerance in different populations. Additionally, we emphasise the potential use of ATP1A1 as a tool for marker assisted selection for heat tolerance,” say the authors.
