Exploring candidate genes for heat tolerance in ovine through liver gene expression
Messy Hannear de Andrade Pantoja,
Francisco José de Novais,
Gerson Barreto Mourão,
Raluca G. Mateescu,
Mirele Daiana Poleti,
Mariane Beline,
Camylla Pedrosa Monteiro,
Heidge Fukumasu,
Cristiane Gonçalves Titto
Affiliations
Messy Hannear de Andrade Pantoja
Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Duque de Caxias Norte, 225, Pirassununga, SP, 13635-900, Brazil
Francisco José de Novais
Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Duque de Caxias Norte, 225, Pirassununga, SP, 13635-900, Brazil
Gerson Barreto Mourão
Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade São Paulo, Av. Pádua Dias, 11, Piracicaba, SP, 13418-900, Brazil
Raluca G. Mateescu
Department of Animal Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
Mirele Daiana Poleti
Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Duque de Caxias Norte, 225, Pirassununga, SP, 13635-900, Brazil
Mariane Beline
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061-0002, United States
Camylla Pedrosa Monteiro
Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Duque de Caxias Norte, 225, Pirassununga, SP, 13635-900, Brazil
Heidge Fukumasu
Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Duque de Caxias Norte, 225, Pirassununga, SP, 13635-900, Brazil
Cristiane Gonçalves Titto
Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Duque de Caxias Norte, 225, Pirassununga, SP, 13635-900, Brazil; Corresponding author.
Thermotolerance has become an essential factor in the prevention of the adverse effects of heat stress, but it varies among animals. Identifying genes related to heat adaptability traits is important for improving thermotolerance and for selecting more productive animals in hot environments. The primary objective of this research was to find candidate genes in the liver that play a crucial role in the heat stress response of Santa Ines sheep, which exhibit varying levels of heat tolerance. To achieve this goal, 80 sheep were selected based on their thermotolerance and placed in a climate chamber for 10 days, during which the average temperature was maintained at 36 °C from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 28 °C from 4 p.m. to 10 a.m. A subset of 14 extreme animals, with seven thermotolerant and seven non-thermotolerant animals based on heat loss (rectal temperature), were selected for liver sampling. RNA sequencing and differential gene expression analysis were performed. Thermotolerant sheep showed higher expression of genes GPx3, RGS6, GPAT3, VLDLR, LOC101108817, and EVC. These genes were mainly related to the Hedgehog signaling pathway, glutathione metabolism, glycerolipid metabolism, and thyroid hormone synthesis. These enhanced pathways in thermotolerant animals could potentially mitigate the negative effects of heat stress, conferring greater heat resistance.
