Proceedings of the XLV Italian Society of Agricultural Genetics - SIGA Annual Congress

Salsomaggiore Terme, Italy - 26/29 September, 2001

ISBN 88-900622-1-5

Oral Communication Abstract

REPRODUCTION AND CHROMOSOMAL ABNORMALITIES IN CATTLE

IANNUZZI L.*, MOLTENI L.**, DI MEO G.P.*, PERUCATTI A.*, DE GIOVANNI A.**, INCARNATO D.*, SUCCI G.**, EGGEN A.***, CRIBIU E.***

* National Research Council (CNR), IABBAM, Naples

L.Iannuzzi@iabbam.na.cnr.it

** Institute of Animal Science, Agricultural Faculty of Science, University of Milan, Italy

*** INRA, Department of Animal Genetics, Jouy-en-Josas, France

cattle, reproduction, chromosome, abnormality, FISH

Numerical chromosome aberrations, especially when they involve the autosomes, are phenotypically visible because they originate abnormal phenotypes. For this reason they are easily eliminated during the animal breeding. When sex chromosomes are involved in the chromosome abnormalities, animals usually show normal body conformation and external sex genitalia but have serious reproductive problems for the lack of internal sex organs (females).

Structural chromosome abnormalities, especially the balanced ones, are not visible because the carriers show normal body conformation but have reduced fertility due to unbalanced chromosome segregation at the meiosis. For this reason, these chromosome abnormalities are much more important and without a cytogenetic control escape the animal selection and can be spread in the progeny, especially when the artificial insemination is applied.

In this study we summarize the data we obtained in cattle showing numerical and structural chromosomal abnormalities related to reproductive problems as low fertility and sterility.

Peripheral blood lymphocyte cultures from Podolian, Chianina and Romagnola cattle breeds were treated for early- and late-incorporation of BrdU to obtain G- and R-banding patterns, respectively. Slides were treated for GBG-, RBG- and CBA-banding techniques. Some specific cases were also studied by FISH-mapping analyses of some Y specific molecular markers (ZFY, SLC25A6, TGLA325, SRY).

The following chromosomal abnormalities were found: (a) pericentric inversion in cattle Y-chromosomes (13 carriers on 16 investigated males of Podolian breed); (b) reciprocal translocation between Y/9 chromosomes in a young bull of Chianina breed; (c) 2n=60,XX in a male cattle of Chianina breed; (d) rob(1;29) in Podolian and Marchigiana cattle (several heterozygous carriers). The importance of cytogenetic controls on the reproducers is discussed.

Acknowledgements: this study has in part been supported by Structural Project FESR on Typical Products and in part by National Research Council of Rome, Special Project on the Biodiversity,.