canadian animal genetic resource (cagr)

Donation Agreement

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Donation Agreement

Background

The Canadian Animal Genetic Resources (CAGR) program is a joint initiative of Agricultureand Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) organized to conserve the genetic diversity of Canadian livestock and poultry breeds, and to develop new techniques to conserve them.The current CAGR team relies on the expertise of five scientists: Dr. Ken Richards (Research Manager),Dr. Muhammad Anzar (Cryobiology), Dr. Carl Lessard (Gamete and Embryo Biology), Dr. Yves Plante (Genetic Diversity), Dr. Jap Shrestha (Quantitative Genetics), and Mr. Wenkai Fu (Bioinformaics). From the University of Saskatchewan, Dr.Sheila Schmutz and Dr. Reuben Mapletoft act asscientific advisors, whereas Dr. Norman Rawlings and Dr. Graham Scoles provide operation and management inputs. Finally, an Advisory Committee consisting of representatives from the Canadian Farm Animal Genetic Resources Foundation (CFAGRF), Rare Breeds Canada (RBC), AAFC, U of S, the USDA National Animal Genetic Resource program (NAGRP), the Canadian livestock industry, and academia provide advice to the program. CAGR’s vision is to enhance Canada’s ability to conserve genetic resources and generate profit from them, to protect livestock and poultry breeds, maintain genetic diversity,and develop new reproductive and cryobiology technologies. CAGR’s mission is to conserve the genetic diversity of all Canadian livestock and poultry breeds by acquiring, evaluating,and preserving tissue and germplasm, through significant research in cryopreservation, reproductive biology and genetic diversity for the benefit of all Canadians.

FARM ANIMAL GENETICS and CONSERVATION STRATEGIES

Some key activities of the Genetic Diversity Group of CAGR are: (1) Characterize, evaluate, and analyzegenetic diversity, (2) Develop indicators of change indomestic animal genetic diversity, (3) Document thegenetic resources and make some of this information available to Canadians, and (4) Train highly qualified young scientists in conservation genetics. The goal is to develop capacity and knowledge to better implement conservation strategies that will positively impact Canadian farm animal and poultry breeds and commercial lines. The loss of genetic diversity is a common outcome faced by minor breeds.Typically minor and rare breeds are represented by a small number of breeding animals and the rate of in breeding is directly proportional to the inverse of the number of breeding males and females (the smaller the number the higher the rate of inbreeding). Similarly in major popular breeds and commercial lines, few sires are extensively used to produce future generations and breeding stocks, a breeding system also inductive to inbreeding. The outcome of inbreeding is two fold. First, the frequency of deleterious (or lethal) mutations increases,the fitness of individuals decreases (loss of reproductive output, increased susceptibility to diseases), and the number of genetic deaths increases. Second, and most important, is there duction in heterozygosity or genetic variation within the breeding stock. Without genetic variability or diversity within a breed or commercial line; no further selection is possible. Inpractice, low genetic variability simply means lower rates of genetic improvement (or progress) and no possible adaptation to changing environments, shifting market demands or emerging new diseases. Simply put, when a gene is gone, due to reduced diversity, that geneis gone forever, and it will not come back. Loosing genetic diversity in our food producing animals is a real threat to our food safety and supply and economic security to all farm animal and poultry breeders, minor rare breeds and major commercials alike.To be able to safeguard against loosing farm animal and poultry genetic diversity, CAGR monitors genetic diversity within and among farm animal breeds along with the collection and preservation of animal germplasm (semen, embryos and oocytes). To estimate genetic diversity, CAGR uses DNA markers recommended by the United-Nation Food and Agriculture Organization (UN-FAO) for the study of genetic diversity in domestic animals (FAO-MoDAD). Other DNA markers may also add value (diseaseresistance, effect on production or reproduction, etc.) to the germplasm will also be tested. All these markers will define a complex genotype for each animal tested.The goal is to genotype all breeding animals in minor and rare breeds and selected individuals in major breeds and commercial lines. The data will then be used to estimate current levels of genetic diversity within and among breeds and lines. The data can also be used to estimate current levels of inbreeding and effective breeding size for each population. High inbreeding and low effective size will immediately flag these breeds as target for germplasm conservation. These genotypes and allele frequencies can be used to calculate pairwise genetic distances among breeds and lines to reconstruct their ancestry, an important evaluation before breed regeneration, breed rescue and synthetic breed development. These same genetic distances will be use to estimate the relative contribution of each breed or line to the overall core group of breeds and lines. Similarly, the data will be used to estimate of effect of loosing one line or breed on the total genetic diversity of Canadian farm animal breeds. Most exciting of all, molecular co-ancestry analyses (related to genetic distances between breedingindividuals) can be used to identify those animals within a breed that contribute the most to the observed genetic diversity in a single breed, another immediate flag for the preservation of unique and individual germplasm. CAGR will keep monitoring these parameters or estimators of genetic diversity through time or at fixed generation intervals. This simple and valuable approach to the study of farm animal and poultry genetic diversity is comprehensive and will identify those breeds and breeding individuals that should be target for long term conservation and preservation.

The most challenging part to estimating animal genetic diversity, and devising conservation strategies, is the actual collection and preservation of germplasms and DNA samples. This is where the collaboration of all those involved in farm animal breeding and the use of genetic resources is most valuable. Any kind of material carrying DNA that can be safely collected from valuable farm animals could and should be donated to CAGR. Donation forms are easy to complete and donations will be acknowledged. Hair and tissue samples will be immediately processed for DNA typing. Semen samples will be assessed for viability and freezing potential and if possible analiquot will be processed for DNA extraction and genotyping. Anyone wishing to donate a sample is very welcome to do so, but should contact CAGR to obtain a copy of the donation agreement and donation forms and to organize shipment of the material. If required by the donor, a tax receipt, based on fair market value of the material, will be issued.

BUILDING a NATIONAL CRYOBANK of GENETIC RESOURCES in LIVESTOCK and POULTRY BREEDS

The CAGR program is seeking the collaboration of all farm animal and poultry breeders,Artificial Insemination (AI) and selection companies in building a National farm animal and poultry germplasm cryobank. Semen, oocytes, embryos, tissues and DNA have to be collected from all farm animal breeds (and localities) to obtain as wide a range of genetic resource aspossible. All frozen materials will be stored in cryogenic tanks located at Saskatoon. Freshly collected, and extended, material will be frozen and stored using current protocols. Semen donations will first be evaluated for their ability to be frozen. For instance, some sires producesemen with a “good” freezing ability, whereas others produce semen with a “poor” freezing ability. This semen evaluation process will provide the opportunity to build a cryobank with the vast majority of semen qualified with a good ability to freeze, hence increasing our chance to regenerate the genetic resource of interest if required. It is very important to remember that semen with poor freezing ability will also be kept, as it may also contain valuable genetics which could be important in the future. We cannot apply this same evaluation and selection system to embryos and oocytes due to the limited amount of genetic material. This kind of genetic resource will be kept in our cryogenic banks until needed. In cases of national emergencies (ex. environmental disasters or large epidemics) national interests will dictate the immediate release of specific animal germplasms for repopulation or rescue.An immediate benefit to participating donors and breeders is to have a direct access to a free, secure and off-site germplasm storage facility. However, one key component of maintaining a farm animal germplasm cryobank is also to assure proper redistribution of the material to interested stakeholders. Acquisition, maintenance and distribution guidelines will be developed in consultation with the CAGR Advisory Committee with input from breed associations and the AI and selection companies. Finally, breeders can decide to allocate part of their donations to research performed within our program. Specific research areas include, but may not be limited to, genetic diversity, gametes(sperm and oocytes) and embryobiology and cryobiology. Incryobiology, we will perform different studies to optimize freezing-thawing procedures and to develop new extenders to freeze gametes/embryos. The general goal is to obtain better survival rates and fertility levels. In some farm animal species, it is well known that artificia linsemination using frozen-thawed semen requires a large number of sperm cells. Also, cryopreservation of oocytes is inefficient and although cryopreserved embryos can survive thawing, these do not optimally develop after being transferred into a recipient. Regarding gamete and embryo biology, several aspects can be studied like maturation of oocytes, fertilization processes, embryo development, and embryo transfer. One way to preserve the genetic resources is in vitro production of embryos (production of embryos in atest tube). This technology allows us to maintain and increase variability of the genetic resources in the cryobank. Unfortunately, this technology is not efficient in several farm animal species, including the pig. Production of in vitro pig embryo is inefficient due to ahigh rate of polyspermy and a low rate of embryo development. Polyspermy is defined as anegg being fertilized by several sperm cells rather than one. The resulting embryo is not viable. Understanding the different defective mechanisms during this in vitro fertilization process will significantly contribute to knowledge of some fundamental reproductive aspects in farm animal species that are difficult to cryopreserve. The ultimate goal of this study is to obtainan efficient in vitro reproduction system to produce embryos, cryopreserve and efficiently transfer them. This research is needed to build knowledge and capacity for possible breed rescue and regeneration. In summary, every farm animal and poultry germplasm donation will be treated according to the breeder’s wishes. Breeders have the choice to givetheir genetic resources for a restricted access only, or to allocate portions of the donation to restricted access, research and/or re-distribution. These donations will help us to secure and maintain thegenetic resources. The CAGR program iscommitted to work with the farm animal breeders, A.Iunits, breed associations and their representatives. Our driving mandate is to evaluate genetic diversity in farm animal and poultry breeds and lines, to characterize their germplasm and the long term preservation of valuable genetic resources. The CAGR program is continuously evolving and your input and collaboration will be significant components in developing a Canadian farm animal and poultry germplasm conservation program.

Yves Plante, PhDCanadian Animal Genetic Resources (CAGR) Program Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Rm 6D62, Department of Animal and Poultry Science
College of Agriculture and Bioresources
51 Campus Drive
Saskatoon, Sask, S7N 5A8
Tel.:306 956 7209
Fax: 306 956 7246
Email: plantey@agr.gc.ca

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