Reproduction in Domestic Animals - Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias

16 t h International Congress on Animal Reproduction
76 Poster Abstracts
Methods Twenty-eight goats that had tested positive for CAEV using
PCR on vaginal secretions were used as embryo donors. Embryos
with intact ZP were selected and washed ten times; they were then
frozen and used for transfer into CAEV-free recipient goats. Nineteen
of the forty-nine recipient goats gave birth, producing a total of 23
kids. Three blood samples were taken from each recipient goat, ten
days before, during, and ten days after parturition; these were tested
for CAEV antibodies using ELISA and for CAEV proviral DNA
using PCR. The mothers were then euthanized. Tissue samples were
taken from the lungs, udder, and retromammary and prescapular
lymph nodes. The kids were separated from their mothers at birth.
Seven of them died. At 4 months of age, 16 kids were subjected to
drug-induced immunosuppression. Blood samples were taken every
month from birth to 4 months of age; samples were then taken on day
15, day 21, and day 28 after the start of the immunosuppressive
treatment. The kids were then euthanized and tissue samples taken
from the carpal synovial membrane, lung tissue, prescapular lymph
nodes, inguinal and retro-mammary lymph nodes, and uterus.
Results All samples from the 19 recipient goats and 23 kids were
found to be negative for CAEV antibodies and/or CAEV proviral
DNA.
Conclusion This study, performed under field conditions, clearly
demonstrates that embryo transfer can be used to produce CAEV-free
kids from CAEV-infected biological mothers. Indeed, none of the 16
kids collected from infected mothers at the embryonic stage,
transferred to CAEV-free recipient goats, and subjected to
immunosuppressive treatment at 4 months of age, were found to be
positive for CAEV with any of the diagnostic methods used in all of
the analyzed target tissues of the virus. Similarly, none of the 20
recipient goats seroconverted, and none of the sampled tissues tested
positive for CAEV proviral DNA.
P145
Effects of a mutation in Bone Morphogenetic Protein 15
gene (BMP15) on natural ovulation rate and on the
response to superovulatory FSH treatment in Rasa
Aragonesa ewes
Folch, J 1 *; Alabart, JL 1 ; Martínez-Royo, A 1 ; Echegoyen, E 1 ; Cocero, MJ 2 ;
Jurado, JJ 3 ; Bodin, L 4 ; Calvo, JH 1
1Unidad de Tecnología en Producción Animal. CITA. Av. de Montañana, 930.
50059-Zaragoza, Spain; 2 Dpto. Reproducción Animal. INIA. Av. Puerta de
Hierro s/n. 28040-Madrid, Spain; 3 Dpto. Mejora Genética animal. INIA. Ctra.
La Coruña Km 7.5. 28040-Madrid, Spain; 4 INRA, UR631 Station
d'amélioration génétique des animaux, F-31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France
A MOET Program is applied to improve the efficiency of a selection
scheme for prolificacy in Rasa Aragonesa ovine breed. We have
recently found a new mutation in BMP15 gene (1) in the highest
prolific ewes of the Scheme. Since similar mutations are associated to
higher ovulation rate (OR) in heterozygous females in other ovine
breeds, we carried out a study to confirm the effect of this new
mutation on OR in Rasa Aragonesa, in both natural conditions
(Experiment 1) or after superovulation with oFSH (Experiment 2).
Experiment 1
Two lots of ewe lambs of similar age, body weigh and body condition
score were compared: BMP15 group (mutant animals) and control
group (non-mutant, non-selected). All animals were maintained
indoor and feeded ad libitum. At 9 months of age, lambs received
FGA sponges. The OR was recorded six days after sponge withdrawal
by laparoscopy and was repeated 17 and 34 days later. No males were
used for heats detection.
OR in Control group was similar to previously reported values in nonselected
Rasa Aragonesa ewe lambs, while BMP15 group presented
about 0.6 extra ovulations.
Genotype n OR1 OR2 OR3
OR
(Pooled)
BMP15 15 1.85 a 1.69 a 1.58 c 1.71 a
Control 18 1.09 b 1.14 b 1.13 d 1.12 b
n: Number of ewe lambs; OR: Ovulation rate in lambs ovulating
a, b: P