Physiological and molecular characterization of reproductive traits in native cattle of high altitude

Abstract

The Ladakhi cow is a native Indian cattle breed of Indian high-altitude region of Leh-Ladakh and they are well adapted to extreme cold and hypobaric-hypoxia. However, knowledge on reproductive traits, breeding performance, and adaptive mechanism to hypoxia in Ladakhi cow are not much available. Therefore, the present doctoral study has been conducted on the reproductive physiology of the Ladakhi cow, specifically serum biochemistry, hormone profile, and gene expression of reproductive and adaptation traits during estrus cycle, gestation period, and post-parturition. All the experimental study was carried out on 08 reproductively mature Ladakhi cows at DIHAR-DRDO, Leh, Ladakh, India. The results demonstrated that serum biochemicals, showed variation in Ca, Fe, TG, and urea, whereas other biochemical parameters were within the normal range and varied depending on reproductive stage. Pulsatile release cycle of serum hormones in Ladakhi cow, showed variation in various periods of the estrus, gestation, and post parturition than the low-lander cow breeds. Results on gene expression of reproductive and adaptative traits, were varied during the estrus cycle, gestation period, and post-parturition. The results showed that variation in hormone and gene expression levels during the reproductive stages and followed a similar cyclic pattern of low-lander cattle. These studies indicated that the Ladakhi cow has a typical biochemical, hormonal, and gene expression profile that permits it to survive in this harsh high-altitude environment with normal reproductive performance. These data could be useful for developing reference values of this cattle breed and developing breeding and conservation program of high-altitude cattle. newline