DIANA Dipartimento di Scienze Animali, della Nutrizione e degli Alimenti, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy.
Unità risorse foraggere e produzioni zootecniche, Centro Trasferimento Tecnologico, Fondazione Edmund Mach, S. Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy.
Genet Sel Evol. 2024 May 2;56(1):32. doi: 10.1186/s12711-024-00900-y.
Rendena is a dual-purpose cattle breed, which is primarily found in the Italian Alps and the eastern areas of the Po valley, and recognized for its longevity, fertility, disease resistance and adaptability to steep Alpine pastures. It is categorized as 'vulnerable to extinction' with only 6057 registered animals in 2022, yet no comprehensive analyses of its molecular diversity have been performed to date. The aim of this study was to analyse the origin, genetic diversity, and genomic signatures of selection in Rendena cattle using data from samples collected in 2000 and 2018, and shed light on the breed's evolution and conservation needs.
Genetic analysis revealed that the Rendena breed shares genetic components with various Alpine and Po valley breeds, with a marked genetic proximity to the Original Braunvieh breed, reflecting historical restocking efforts across the region. The breed shows signatures of selection related to both milk and meat production, environmental adaptation and immune response, the latter being possibly the result of multiple rinderpest epidemics that swept across the Alps in the eighteenth century. An analysis of the Rendena cattle population spanning 18 years showed an increase in the mean level of inbreeding over time, which is confirmed by the mean number of runs of homozygosity per individual, which was larger in the 2018 sample.
The Rendena breed, while sharing a common origin with Brown Swiss, has developed distinct traits that enable it to thrive in the Alpine environment and make it highly valued by local farmers. Preserving these adaptive features is essential, not only for maintaining genetic diversity and enhancing the ability of this traditional animal husbandry to adapt to changing environments, but also for guaranteeing the resilience and sustainability of both this livestock system and the livelihoods within the Rendena valley.
伦巴第亚牛是一种两用牛种，主要分布在意大利阿尔卑斯山脉和波河谷东部地区，以其长寿、繁殖力、抗病能力和适应陡峭阿尔卑斯牧场的能力而闻名。它被归类为“处于灭绝边缘”，2022 年仅注册了 6057 头，但迄今为止，尚未对其分子多样性进行全面分析。本研究旨在通过对 2000 年和 2018 年采集的样本进行数据分析，分析伦巴第亚牛的起源、遗传多样性和选择的基因组特征，为该品种的进化和保护需求提供参考。
遗传分析表明，伦巴第亚牛与各种阿尔卑斯山脉和波河谷品种共享遗传成分，与原始勃艮第牛品种的遗传关系非常密切，反映了该地区历史上的重新放养努力。该品种显示与牛奶和肉类生产、环境适应和免疫反应相关的选择特征，后者可能是 18 世纪席卷阿尔卑斯山的多次牛瘟流行的结果。对跨越 18 年的伦巴第亚牛种群进行分析表明，随着时间的推移，群体的平均近交程度有所增加，这一点得到了个体平均同源重组数的证实，2018 年的样本中这一数字更大。
伦巴第亚牛虽然与瑞士褐牛有共同的起源，但已发展出独特的特征，使其能够在阿尔卑斯山环境中茁壮成长，并使其受到当地农民的高度重视。保护这些适应性特征不仅对于维持遗传多样性和增强这种传统畜牧业适应不断变化的环境的能力至关重要，而且对于保证这种牲畜系统及其在伦巴第亚山谷中的生计的弹性和可持续性也至关重要。
