Study of traits related to thermal stress in Dairy Gyr young bulls

• Grant number: 15/25758-9
• Support Opportunities: Research Program on Global Climate Change - Regular Grants
• Start date: April 01, 2016
• End date: March 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Genetics and Improvement of Domestic Animals
• Principal Investigator: Anibal Eugênio Vercesi Filho
• Grantee: Anibal Eugênio Vercesi Filho
• Host Institution: Instituto de Zootecnia. Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios (APTA). Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento (São Paulo - Estado). Nova Odessa , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Claudia Cristina Paro de Paz ; João Alberto Negrão ; Lenira El Faro Zadra ; Luciandra Macedo de Toledo ; Maria Lucia Pereira Lima ; Ricardo Vieira Ventura

Abstract

This project aims to study physiological and cellular parameters in 140 young Dairy Gyr bulls candidates to the National Genetic Improvement Program of Dairy Gyr Breed - PNMGL- , to investigate individual variation for the expression of HSP 70 and HSP 90 after exposure of the animals to conditions of heat stress. With the advent of global warming, searching for traits that contribute to adaptation of animals to the new production environments is needed for the inclusion of these traits in the animal breeding programs as breeding goals. The animals will be brought to the cattle handing facility in the morning (no stress) and after undergoing the sun during the period of two hours (from 11:00 to 13: 00hs). The animals will be identified and the following traits will be collected: rectal temperature and cardiac and respiratory rate. Peripheral blood samples before and after sun exposure will be collected for dosage of cortisol and ATCH. To analyze the expression of Heat Shock Proteins, DNA samples will be used collected from white blood cells before and after exposure to the sun. Laboratory tests will be performed at the Animal Physiology Laboratory of USP - Pirassununga (AU)