About this Research Topic
Fertility is a complex trait influenced by several factors. Recently many different reproductive biotechnology techniques have been developed to achieve reproductive efficiency and consistency in livestock industries. Among those techniques, genomic selection, artificial insemination (AI), in vitro fertilization, semen sorting, and embryo transfer gained lots of attention among researchers. However, how those modern technologies affect the health and physiology of newly generated animals, is not well understood. Major advancements in -omic technologies (metabolomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, and genomics) have enabled high-throughput screening of a wide range of molecular and cellular dynamics in fertility molecules. These approaches also provide means of detecting minute amounts of changes in molecules due to their higher sensitivity. Such attributes of these advanced methods are vitally important for innovative studies to produce new knowledge with transformational and translational values. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been effective in applying dense genetic markers, such as single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, to determine genomic regions associated with economically important phenotypes such as fertility. There is a need for new knowledge on the expression levels and functions of sperm RNA, proteins, and metabolites. The new knowledge can shed light on additional fertility markers that can be used in combination with scrotal circumference to predict the fertility of breeding bulls. As an economically important trait, fertility has become more important as there is an urgent need for more efficient, sustainable, and profitable production of food animals to feed the ever-increasing human population in the world.
This topic welcomes research on the genetic and environmental regulation of fertility traits in livestock species in both male and female animals, as well as the genetic factors evaluated through molecular techniques including transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics; the environmental factors evaluated through dietary, hormonal, or extenders, etc. used for the modulation of both male and female fertility. Articles can cover, but are not limited to, the following:
• Genetic regulation of male and female fertility of livestock species marker genes
• RNAs, transcription factors, candidate genes, SNPs, Sequencing, DNA methylation
• The omics techniques in the reproduction of livestock species
• Extenders in semen quality and hormonal effects on reproduction
• Genomic selection effects on semen physiology and epigenetic/metabolomic modification.
• Interaction between gut microbiota and semen quality in livestock.
This topic welcomes research on the genetic and environmental regulation of fertility traits in livestock species in both male and female animals, as well as the genetic factors evaluated through molecular techniques including transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics; the environmental factors evaluated through dietary, hormonal, or extenders, etc. used for the modulation of both male and female fertility. Articles can cover, but are not limited to, the following:
• Genetic regulation of male and female fertility of livestock species marker genes
• RNAs, transcription factors, candidate genes, SNPs, Sequencing, DNA methylation
• The omics techniques in the reproduction of livestock species
• Extenders in semen quality and hormonal effects on reproduction
• Genomic selection effects on semen physiology and epigenetic/metabolomic modification.
• Interaction between gut microbiota and semen quality in livestock.
Keywords: Gene regulation and Expression, Adipogenesis, Meat quality, Gene promoter, RNAs, Marker genes, DNA Methylation and Histone modification. Marker-Assisted Selection, Candidate gene and RNA-Sequencing
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
