Ohran Husein, Pojskic Naris, Ramic Jasmin, Kusza Szilvia, Lojo-Kadric Naida, Hodzic Aida
Department of Basic Veterinary Sciences, University of Sarajevo-Veterinary Faculty, Zmaja od Bosne 90, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Sarajevo, Zmaja od Bosne 8, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Animals (Basel). 2025 Sep 13;15(18):2678. doi: 10.3390/ani15182678.
Climate change poses an increasing challenge to livestock production, making the identification of thermally resilient breeds crucial. This study investigated the expression patterns of eight thermal stress-related genes (HSP90AA1, HSPA8, HSPA1A, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, NOS-3, and SOD-2) in two strains of indigenous Pramenka sheep (Hercegovačka and Dubska) under different climatic conditions. Blood samples were collected from 96 sheep across four locations during summer and winter seasons. Gene expression was analyzed using RT-PCR and evaluated against comprehensive environmental data, including the temperature-humidity index (THI). Principal component analysis revealed distinct gene expression patterns between strains and seasons. The Hercegovačka strain showed consistently higher expression of HSP90AA1 compared to the Dubska strain in both seasons (summer: 5.81 vs. 2.47; winter: 4.38 vs. 1.19, < 0.05), with all individuals exhibiting upregulation during summer and 95.8% showing upregulation during winter. Both strains demonstrated reduced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α) and increased expression of anti-inflammatory IL-10, suggesting maintained immunocompetence under thermal stress. The expression patterns of oxidative stress-related genes (SOD-2, NOS-3) indicated effective management of oxidative stress in both strains. These results suggest superior thermal adaptation in the Hercegovačka strain, particularly through HSP-mediated cellular protection mechanisms, while both strains show favorable immune and oxidative stress responses. These findings provide valuable insights for climate-resilient sheep breeding programs and the conservation of adaptive genetic resources.
气候变化对畜牧生产构成了日益严峻的挑战，因此识别耐热品种至关重要。本研究调查了两种本地普拉门卡羊（黑塞哥维那羊和杜布卡羊）在不同气候条件下八个热应激相关基因（HSP90AA1、HSPA8、HSPA1A、IL-6、IL-10、TNF-α、NOS-3和SOD-2）的表达模式。在夏季和冬季，从四个地点的96只绵羊采集血样。使用逆转录聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）分析基因表达，并根据包括温度湿度指数（THI）在内的综合环境数据进行评估。主成分分析揭示了不同品种和季节之间不同的基因表达模式。在两个季节中，黑塞哥维那羊品种的HSP90AA1表达始终高于杜布卡羊品种（夏季：5.81对2.47；冬季：4.38对1.19，<0.05），所有个体在夏季均表现出上调，95.8%的个体在冬季表现出上调。两个品种均显示促炎细胞因子（IL-6、TNF-α）表达降低，抗炎性IL-10表达增加，表明在热应激下免疫能力得以维持。氧化应激相关基因（SOD-2、NOS-3）的表达模式表明两个品种对氧化应激均有有效的调控。这些结果表明，黑塞哥维那羊品种具有更好的热适应性，特别是通过热休克蛋白介导的细胞保护机制，而两个品种均表现出良好的免疫和氧化应激反应。这些发现为适应气候变化的绵羊育种计划和适应性遗传资源的保护提供了有价值的见解。
