Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Chair Gary Moss called the meeting to order at 8 a.m. on June 13, 2005. Participants were introduced, minutes from the last meeting approved, and appreciation expressed to Charlie and Yoshi Weems for arranging meeting facilities. Colin indicated a new number would be assigned to the renewed project and that the project renewal needs to be completed by January 2006. Deb Hamernik discussed updates and changes in USDA granting programs and led discussion concerning changes being considered regarding federal funding (formula funding vs competitive funding). Business items included the unanimous election of Derek McLean, Washington State University as Member at Large and selection of Reno as the site for the 2006 meeting on May 22-23. Dennis Hallford was selected to lead the organization and arrangement of accommodations for the 2006 meeting. Announcements and news from individual stations were given. No discussion of old business. Attendees then discussed aspects of the current project that remained to be completed. The business portion of the meeting concluded with discussion of the new objectives, development of a schedule and selection of individuals to lead the writing of the project renewal. Andy Roberts will provide summary of past and current accomplishments and publications. Troy Ott, Derek McLean, Kim Vonnahme and Tom Geary will prepare remaining aspects of the project renewal. Andrea Cupp will edit the first draft. Deadlines for the rewrite are: Sept 1, 2005 for individual membership submission of research brief; Oct 1 for first draft; Nov 1, for second draft; and Dec 1 for final draft. Members were encouraged to recruit new faculty from within their stations during the renewal process. After a great deal of discussion, the following objectives were recommended. 1. Determine the basic physiological, immunological, metabolic and genetic systems that contribute to optimum reproduction in domestic ruminants with emphasis on: - gonadal development and function -establishment of pregnancy, placental function and fetal development - pubertal, seasonal and post-partum anestrus 2. Develop tools, techniques and management strategies to allow producers to control reproductive efficiency including development of : - markers for reproductive health and disease - chemical and immunological means of regulating fertility The remainder of the meeting was dedicated to presentations of individual reports and identification of collaborative projects for the ensuing year. The meeting adjourned at noon on June 14. Collaborative Efforts: Collaborators: Alaska, Missouri. Project. Evaluation of IGF-1 and Leptin in muskoxen and reindeer Collaborators: Alaska, USDA (Miles City), Washington. Project. Evaluation of LHRH vaccines Collaborators: Colorado, New Mexico. Project: PGF production by CL. Collaborators: Colorado, Wyoming Project: Study genomic markers in hearts from steers with high altitude disease to see if these genes are associated with hypertrophy in hearts from fetuses out of undernourished dams. Collaborators: Colorado, Wyoming Project: Effects of maternal undernourishment on preproghrelin system in fetus. Collaborators: Colorado, Wyoming. Project: Study cases of hypertrophy in hearts from fetuses in response to maternal under nutrition. Collaborators: Colorado, Idaho. Project: Continue development of test for non-pregnant beef and dairy cows, and examine ISG15/MX response in cows and fetuses infected with BVDV. Collaborators: Colorado, Idaho, Missouri, Ohio, USDA (Miles City). Project: Examine ISG15 mRNA in blood from pregnant cows. Collaborators: Colorado, Texas. Project: Examine ISG15 mRNA in blood from pregnant deer and Brahman cows. Collaborators: Hawaii, Texas. Project: Growth factor influences on bovine caruncular secretion of PGE1. Collaborators: Hawaii, Colorado. Project: Effects of PGE1 or PGE2 on mRNA for LH receptors in CL and caruncular endometrium. Collaborators: Idaho, Ohio, Colorado Project: Determine if uterine characteristics contribute to decreased fertility in response to a short proestrus period. Collaborators: Idaho, USDA (Miles City) Project -ISG in peripheral blood following AI in beef cattle. Collaborators: Idaho, WSU and USDA Idaho Project: Genetic scan for genes associated with cryptorchidism. Collaborators: Kansas, Wyoming Project: Regulation of FSH-Receptor variants. Collaborators: Kansas, Nebraska Project: Evaluate FSHR and VEGF expression in ovary and testis cultures. Collaborators: New Mexico, USDA (Miles City, Montana). Project. Characterize factors influencing longevity of replacement females. Collaborators: New Mexico, Wyoming, USDA (Miles City, Montana). Project. Effects of feed restriction on ovulatory follicle developments and oocyte viability. Collaborators: Nebraska, WSU. Project. Role of VEGF in bovine testis grafts. Collaborators: Nebraska, WSU. Project. Spermatogonial germ cell transplantation Collaborators: Nebraska, Oregon. Project. Evaluate vascular development in fetal gonads from sheep. Collaborators: New Mexico, North Dakota. Project. Monitor T3, T4, IGF-I in fetal and maternal blood from ewes fed Se or undernourished during pregnancy. Collaborators: North Dakota, USDA Idaho. Project. Selenium project and BW data. Collaborators: North Dakota, Minnesota. Project. Effects of estrous synchronization with natural service on calving distribution. Collaborators: North Dakota, Wyoming. Project. Evaluate uterine/placental function in nutrient-restricted cows. Collaborators: Texas, USDA (Miles City). Project. Feed efficiency in developing heifers Collaborators: WSU, USDA (Miles City). Project. Determine differences in pituitary gene expression in cycling and postpartum anestrus cows.

Objective 1. Investigate molecular, cellular and endocrine mechanisms that limit or control reproductive efficiency in domestic animals. Hypothalamic-Anterior Pituitary Gland Physiology. Research has provided knowledge concerning which estrogen receptor, alpha (ERa) or beta (ERb), is involved in mediating actions of estradiol on gonadotropin secretion. The ability of estradiol to induced a preovulatory like surge of gonadotropins in ovariectomized ewes was determined to require activation of both ERa and ERb. Inhibitory effects of estrogen on FSH secretion were determined to be mediated by ERa, but not ERb. This observation demonstrates the potential of using ERa agonist to modify secretory patterns of LH without altering secretion of FSH, which may have application in improving regimens for superovulation. Stimulation of either ERa or ERb leads to stimulation of GnRH receptors in cultured ovine pituitary cells. Thus, the type of estrogen is not important for stimulating an increase in sensitivity of the pituitary to GnRH. A novel membrane receptor has been identified for progesterone. It is likely that previously reported rapid actions of progesterone are mediated via this receptor. Results demonstrate for the first time that the PRL gene is expressed in the medial preoptic area of the hypothalamus, amygdala and frontal cortex of the ovine brain. Expression of the PRL gene is greater in the MPOA and amygdala in male-oriented rams than in heterosexual rams and ewes. Expression of the PRL gene in the MPOA and amygdala during sexual differentiation of the brain may account in part for the display of male-oriented sexual behavior in the adult ram. Ovarian Physiology. Completed research indicates that progesterone is able to prevent an oxytocin induced influx of calcium into large luteal cells. It is hypothesized that this effect may be important in regulating maintenance of the corpus luteum during early pregnancy. Preovulatory regulation of tissue plasminogen activator and TIMP-4 is dependent on increased intrafollicular prostanoid synthesis indicating such molecules may be key intrafollicular mediators of the ovulatory process. The angiogenic factor, VEGF appears to be important in progression of follicular development from primordial to later stages of follicular development. In addition, levels of expression of the different isoforms of VEGF appear to be differentially regulated during final stages of preovulatory period. Indomethacin and/or atrigel were ineffective in delaying or preventing luteolysis in the bovine CL. Prostaglandin F2-alpha activates Ca2+/PKC and MEK/ERK signaling pathways to induce Egr-1 expression and apoptosis during luteal regression. Oocyte Physiology. Messenger RNA abundance for follistatin and bB and a subunits of inhibin/activin is increased coincident with zygotic genome activation in cattle. Follistatin mRNA abundance is positively associated with competence of bovine oocytes. Use of exogenous control RNAs represents a viable approach to control for variation in RNA recovery and efficiency of reverse transcription in real time PCR studies of mRNA abundance in oocytes and early embryos. Ribosomal protein L-15, cyclophilin-A, phosphoglycerokinase, ²-glucuronidase, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, ²-actin and histone H2A mRNAs are not constitutively expressed during oocyte maturation and early embryonic development, but rather are dynamically regulated. Thus, contrary to reports in the literature, they should not be used for normalization of RNA abundance for genes of interest during bovine oocyte maturation and early development. Testicular Physiology. Five cryptorchid families consisting of a total of 92 members plus 26 controls have been generated for the purpose of studying the genetic mechanisms associated with this trait. Research demonstrates that VEGF may be working through the PI3 kinase pathway to elicit its effects on vascular development and cord formation during testis morphogenesis. Feeding of MGA to bulls during the pre- and peri-pubertal period appears to decreased body weight and circulating concentrations of testosterone. Bovine testis grafts on the backs of nude mice produced elongate spermatids 6 months after grafting. VEGF treatment of grafted tissue improves the percentage of seminiferous tubules supporting the differentiation of germ cells into elongate spermatids. Culture of testis tissue prior to grafting does not improve the number of seminiferous tubules supporting the differentiation of elongate spermatids. Cryopreservation of testis tissue prior to grafting does not negatively effect the production of sperm by grafts and suggests tissue can be stored for long periods and be used to produce sperm. This technology will lead to new approaches to generate transgenic animals and preserve genetic material from bulls. GeneChip array analysis of gene expression in bovine testis tissue and embryonic fibroblasts provides a valuable dataset of information about the factors involved in the establishment of spermatogenesis in bulls and spermatogonial stem cells biological activity. These data will be submitted to the NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) website database for public access. Uterine-Placental-Fetal Interactions. Alterations in uterine gene expression during the ensuing estrous cycle in cows that experienced decreased preovulatory estradiol concentrations in response to manipulation of proestrus may be responsible for lower fertility and/or attenuated luteal function observed in previous studies in cows with a shortened proestrus. Periattachment factor has been identified in a number of species during the critical window during early pregnancy when the conceptus is rapidly growing and establishing attachment to the uterine lining. Completed research provides methodology to use RNA interference to examine the importance of this nuclear protein in vivo. Cloning of the ovine Mx1 (oMx1) promoter/enhancer revealed the presence of several different transcription factor-binding sites. During telophase, oMx1 was shown toco-localize with remnants of mitotic spindles at intercellular bridges between dividing cells, which is consistent with a role for Mx1 as a fission molecule in uterine cells and indicates that oMx1 may be involved in cell division. These results expand knowledge concerning mechanisms that regulate expression of this gene and the physiological function of the gene. Experimental results suggest that progesterone can act nongenomically in a dose-dependent manner to interfere with the binding of oxytocin to its receptor in the plasma membranes of ovine endometrium. Progesterone interference with binding of oxytocin to its receptor impairs downstream signal transduction via phosphoinositide hydrolysis. Progesterone produced by the conceptus may, during a critical period of gestation, act in part on a local basis to suppress activation of oxytocin receptors and thus ensure survival of the embryo/fetus. Fetuses die when the ISG15 system is disrupted through genetic deletion of one of the enzymes. Dysregulation of ISG15 and its conjugates may have a detrimental impact on implantation-placentation, which then causes fetal death. The hinge region cysteine 80 contributes to instability of rISG15, which leads to formation of dimers and loss of secondary structure and function in interacting with its initiating enzyme (E1). Instability of rISG15 affects structure, protein-protein interaction and function as an ubiquitin homolog. Nutritional effects during gestation. Similar to previous findings with the vascular endothelial growth factor family, placental expression of angiopoitens are altered in a gestational age related fashion in growth restricted pregnancies, again highlighting that changes in vascular growth factors during early to mid-gestation set placental development on a different functional trajectory, as evidenced by altered umbilical Doppler velocimetry and fetal blood pressures. Management system under which an ewe (and maybe a cow) is selected was shown to have profound effects on her ability to protect her fetus from intrauterine growth restriction in the face of maternal insults such as inadequate nutrition. Fetal intrauterine growth restriction resulting from inadequate nutrition during the first half of gestation in ewes and cows has significant negative health effects on their offspring after birth. These health effects are not alleviated even if females are realimented during the second half of gestation such that birth weights are normal. In the ewe, the conversion of placentomes from A to D type increases their ability to delivery nutrients to the fetus, thereby protecting the fetus from intrauterine growth restriction. This conversion normally occurs during late gestation in response to the exponential growth of the fetus, but some animals have the ability to convert their placentomes during early gestation in the face of a maternal stressor such as inadequate nutrition. This ability for early placentomal conversion appears to be related to pre-gestational ewe selection, and thus may be epigenetic in nature. Hypertrophy of fetal left ventricular heart in response to maternal inadequate nutrition is associated with changes in angiotensin receptors, which may have longer-term implications in the development of cardiovascular disease during post-natal life. Nutritional and metabolic effects in non-pregnant animals. Both acute and chronic nutrient restriction decrease LH pulse frequency, and increases the suppressive potency of E2 on LH pulse amplitude. Increased propensity for fat deposition and ADG were shown to have positive influences on attainment of puberty whereas variations in efficiency of gain or residual feed intake did not. These finding indicate that producers should be cautious when selecting against fat deposition. In contrast, selection for feed efficiency does not appear to have detrimental effects on capacity of heifers to reach puberty in adequate time to be bred as yearlings. The relationships identified among prepubertal serum concentrations of IGF-1 and thyroid hormones and date of puberty warrant further investigation. Supplementing postpartum beef cows with a fibrolytic enzyme improved average daily gain but when cows are grazing high quality forages may not improve lactation or reproduction traits. Bos indicus cows which were higher in milk production had shorter postpartum intervals to estrus while in Bos taurus cows there was the expected finding that higher milk production resulted in more time from calving ton conception, as expected. Feeding a high-concentrate diet to heifers weaned at 3-4 months of age results in precocious puberty through accelerating the peripubertal decline in the negative feedback of estradiol on pulsatile secretion of LH. Divergent selection of heifers for high or low IGF-I altered characteristics of follicular growth and FSH concentrations, and concentrations of progesterone during the mid-luteal phase. The physiological significance of this variation in follicular and endocrine characteristics and the potential impact on reproductive competence is currently unknown. Supplementing cows with high-linoleate safflower seeds increased plasma and oviduct fatty acid concentrations as well as serum PGFM, but MBH and uterine fatty acid concentrations were unaffected by lipid supplementation during the early postpartum period. Nutritional status of beef cows during early lactation was not influenced by lipid supplementation. Supplemental fat provided during the first 60 d of lactation did not influence levels of IGF-I or NEFA, and did not improve conception rates or calf performance. Beneficial effects of feeding safflower seeds on puberty in ewes lambs appears to be more likely due to fat supplementation than the presence of phytoestrogens, as safflower seeds did not possess as much estrogenic activity as a beet pulp/soybean meal based control supplement. Behavior. It was determined that melengestrol acetate (MGA) will not suppress rut associated aggression in male reindeer. Measurement of exit velocity from a squeeze chute can be a valuable tool for both assessment of cattle temperament and a predictor of stress responsiveness to future handling events. Objective 2. Develop and improve assisted reproductive technologies to enhance sustainability of production systems for domestic ruminants. Estrus, estrous synchronization and AI. The biostimulatory effect of bulls does not appear to involve a unique social bonding mechanism analogous to the cow-calf bond. The mechanism may operate through some other sensory pathway linked to the reproductive neuroendocrine-endocrine system of the postpartum cow. This sensory pathway may either directly attenuate the negative effect of the cow-calf bond or directly stimulate the neural centers responsible for altering GnRH release from the hypothalamus Inducing a prenatal hypothyroid state in ewe lambs does not alter seasonal reproductive patterns. It is concluded that SMB and a CIDR may alter the ratio of PGE2: PGF2a secreted by the bovine endometrium, and that this alteration could interfere with implantation. Concentrations of progesterone in liver and skeletal muscle did not differ between ewes receiving CIDR for 5 or 14 d and untreated control ewes. These results contribute towards knowledge required by FDA as part of the approval process for using CIDR in sheep. Ovulation of smaller ovulatory follicles results in lower pregnancy rates in beef cows and heifers. While induced ovulation of smaller follicles resulted in a higher incidence of embryonic mortality in cows, induced ovulation of smaller follicles in heifers did not affect pregnancy maintenance. Reduced subsequent progesterone synthesis may be one mechanism by which induced ovulation of smaller follicles may lead to reduced pregnancy rates and greater embryonic failure in cows. Future ovulation synchronization protocols and management practices that ensure ovulation of fully developed follicles may be improve pregnancy establishment and maintenance. Exogenous estrogen in ovulation synchronization protocols may improve survival of embryos derived from ovulation of smaller follicles. The biostimulatory effect of bulls can be used to increase the number of cows cycling before the implementation of estrous synchronization protocols. Analyses of a 3-yr longitudinal study indicated that timed AI pregnancy rates may be improved by exposing primiparous beef to bulls before and during an estrous synchronization protocol that included GnRH, PGF2a, and fixed time AI. However, overall AI pregnancy rates using this type of protocol for synchronization of estrus and fixed-time AI are not improved by the presence of bulls. In other studies, bull exposure in combination with a 7d MGA feeding with GnRH on d1 and PG on d7 did not increase pregnancy to AI or total pregnancy over cows given the short MGA synchronization protocol in the absence of bull exposure. Studies conducted during the past year demonstrate that recombinant gonadotropins can be used to induce precocious puberty in sheep and may have broader application in ovulation induction protocols. Decreasing the interval from the first GnRH injection to PGF2± from 7 to 5 days increased pregnancy rate in 2 yr-old cows when timed AI was used with a CO-SYNCH + CIDR protocol. These data suggest that the 7-day interval used in most standard synchronization protocols may not be ideal to achieve optimal pregnancy rates in timed AI programs. Pregnancy detection and maintenance. Efforts to identify a reliable endocrine factor that is indicative of pregnancy in reindeer have ruled out the use of estrone sulfate. Stressors applied to heifers and cows approximately 14 days after breeding result in increased PGFM concentrations in serum suggesting that PGF is also elevated during this time period and may interfere with pregnancy establishment. Administering flunixin meglumine to cattle approximately 14 d after AI appears to increase pregnancy establishment in beef cattle subjected to stress. However, improvements in pregnancy rate were not observed in the absence of stress. Results on IVF calves help to understand how in vitro manipulations of early embryos result in deviations from normal prenatal development. Results indicate that components of the innate immune response are activated in PBMC during the period of pregnancy recognition signaling, and indicate that Mx1 and Mx2 are differentially regulated during this time. Pregnancy-associated gene expression has been identified in blood that may be useful markers for a viable embryo. Immunocastration. Antisera that target defined epitopes on bioactive peptides may prolong the functional life of the peptide and, thereby, enhance the physiological response. Disease. Interferon-induced genes are among several other gene products that have been shown to be up regulated in calves that are persistently infected with BVDV.

Refereed Publications: Adams T.E. Using gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and GnRH analogs to modulate testis function and enhance the productivity of domestic animals. Anim. Reprod. Sci. (in press). Ahola, J.K., D.S. Baker, P.D. Burns, R.G. Mortimer, R.M. Enns, J.C. Whittier, T.W. Geary, and T.E. Engle. 2004. Effect of Cu, Zn, and Mn supplementation and source on reproduction, mineral status, and performance in grazing beef cattle over a two-year period. J. Anim. Sci. 82:2375-2383. Alexander, B.M., R.H. Stobart, W.C. Russell, K.I. ORourke, G.S. Lewis, J.R. Logan, J.V. Duncan, and G.E. Moss. 2005. The occurrence of scrapie resistance genotypes in five breeds of sheep and production traits of ewes associated with those genotypes. J. Anim. Sci. 83:455-459. Amstalden, M., P.G. Harms, T.H. Welsh, Jr., R.D. Randel, and G.L. Williams. 2004. Effect of leptin on gonadotropin-releasing hormone release from hypothalamic-infundibular explants and gonadotropin release from adenohypophyseal primary cell cultures: further evidence that fully nourished cattle are resistant to leptin. Anim. Reprod. Sci. 85:41-52. Anway, M.D., A.S. Cupp, M. Uzumcu, and M.K. Skinner. 2005. Epigenetic Transgenerational Actions of Endocrine Disruptors on Male Fertility. Science 308:1466-1469. Arreguin, A. and T.M. Nett. 2005. A nongenomic action of 17b-estradiol as the mechanism underlying the acute suppression of secretion of luteinizing hormone. Biol. Reprod. 73:115-122. Austin, K.J., A.L. Carr, J.K. Pru, C.E. Hearne, E.L. George, E.L. Belden, and T.R. Hansen. 2004. Localization of isg15 and conjugated proteins in bovine endometrium using immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. Endocrinology 145:967-975. Baker, D.L., M.A. Wild, M.M. Connor, H.B. Ravivarapu, R.L. Dunn, and T.M. Nett. 2004. Gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist: A new approach to reversible contraception in female deer. J. Wildlife Disease 40:713-724. Berardinelli, J.G. and P.S. Joshi. 2005. Introduction of bulls at different days postpartum on resumption of ovarian cycling activity in primiparous beef cows. J. Anim Sci. 83: 2106-2110. Berardinelli, J.G., P.S. Joshi, and S.A. Tauck. 2005. Postpartum resumption of ovarian cycling activity in first-calf suckled beef cows exposed to familiar or unfamiliar bulls. J. Anim. Sci. (In Press, February 18, 2005). Bertolini M., A.L. Moyer, J.B. Mason, C.A. Batchelder, K.A. Hoffert, L.R. Bertolini, G.F. Carneiro, S.L. Cargill, T.F. Famula, C.C. Calvert, R.D. Sainz, and G.B. Anderson. 2004. Evidence of increased substrate availability in in vitro-derived bovine fetuses and association with accelerated conceptus growth. Reproduction 128:341-354. Biga, P.R., K.D. Cain, R.W. Hardy, G.T. Schelling, K. Overturf, and T.L. Ott. 2004. Growth hormone differentially regulates muscle myostatin-1 and -2 and increases circulating cortisol in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Gen. Comp. Endocrinol. 138: 32-41. Biga, P.R., B.C. Peterson, G.T. Schelling, R.W. Hardy, K.D. Cain, K. Overturf, and T.L. Ott. 2005. Serum somatotropin, insulin-like growth factor-I, and antibody production in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) treated with sustained-release bovine somatotropin (rbST). Aquaculture 246:437-445. Bowers, S., C. Brown, T. Strauch, S. Gandy, D. Neuendorff, R. Randel, and S. Willard. 2004. Artificial insemination following observational versus electronic methods of estrus detection in red deer hinds (Cervus elephus). Theriogenology 62:652-663. Buaas F.W., A.L. Kirsh, D.J. McLean, J.L. Morris, M.D. Griswold, D.G. de Rooij, and R.E. Braun . 2004. Plzf is required in adult male germ cells for stem cell self-renewal and tissue regeneration. Nat. Genetics 36:647-652. Burke, C.R., H. Cardenas, M.L. Mussard, and M.L. Day. 2005. Histological and steroidogenic changes in dominant ovarian follicles during oestradiol-induced atresia in heifers. Reproduction 129:611-620. Caldwell, C.A., S.A. Fuller, W.R. Gould, P.R. Turner, and D.M. Hallford. 2004. Seasonal changes in 17- ß estradiol of the Rio Grande chub (Gila Pandora) in south-central New Mexico. The Southwestern Naturalist 49: 311-315. Day, M.L. 2004. Hormonal induction of estrous cycles in anestrous, Bos taurus beef cows. Anim. Reprod. Sci. 82-83:487-494. Day M. L. and D. E. Grum. Breeding strategies to optimize reproductive efficiency in beef herds. 2005. In: Veterinary Clinics of North America: Food Animal Practice. Vol. 21/2, pp. 367-381. (Book Chapter) Du, M., M.J. Zhu, W.J. Means, B.W. Hess, and S.P. Ford. 2004. Regulation of calpains and calpastatin in the skeletal muscle of nutrient restricted cows and their fetuses. J. Anim. Sci. 82:2541-2547. Du, M., M.J. Zhu, W.J. Means, B.W. Hess, and S.P. Ford. 2004. Nutrient restriction differentially modulates the mammalian target of rapamysin signaling and the ubiquitin-proteasome system in skeletal muscle of cows and their fetuses. J. Anim. Sci. 83:117-123. Dunlap, K.A. and F. Stormshak. 2004. Nongenomic inhibition of oxytocin binding by progesterone in the ovine uterus. Biol. Reprod. 70:65-69. Flores, R., M.L. Looper, M.G. Thomas, and D.M. Hallford. 2004. Influence of bovine somatotropin on characteristics of estrus and reproduction of Holstein cows during summer months. Prof. Anim. Sci. 20:191-197. Funston, R.N., R.J. Lipsey, T.W. Geary, and A.J. Roberts. 2005. Effect of administration of human chorionic gonadotropin after artificial insemination on concentrations of progesterone and conception rates in beef heifers. J. Anim. Sci. 83:1403-1405. Funston, R.N., R.J. Lipsey, T.W. Geary, and R.P. Ansotegui. 2004. Evaluation of three estrous synchronization protocols in beef heifers. Prof. Anim. Sci. 20:384-387. Galan, H.L., R.V. Anthony, S. Rigano, T.A. Parker, B. de Vrijer, E. Ferrazzi, R.B. Wilkening, and T.R.H. Regnault. 2005. Hypertension and abnormal doppler velocimetry in the growth restricted fetus. Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. 192: 272-279. Goncalves, A.C., L.G. Griffiths, R.V. Anthony, and E. C. Orton. 2005. Decellularization of bovine pericardium for tissue-engineering: antigen removal and decellulariztion. J. Heart Valve Dis. 14:212-217. Grant, M.H.J., B.M. Alexander, B.W. Hess, J.D. Bottger, D.L. Hixon, E.A. Van Kirk, T.M. Nett, and G.E. Moss. 2005. Dietary supplementation with safflower seeds differing in fatty acid composition differentially influences serum concentrations of prostaglandin F metabolite in postpartum beef cows. Reprod. Nutr. Dev. 6:(In Press). Guzeloglu, A., M. Binelli, L. Badinga, T.R. Hansen, and W.W. Thatcher. 2004. Inhibition of phorbol ester-induced PGF2± secretion by ifn-tau is not through regulation of protein kinase c. Prostaglandins Lipid Mediators 74:87-99. Han, H.C., K.J. Austin, P.W. Nathanielsz, S.P. Ford, M.J. Nijland, and T.R. Hansen. 2004. Maternal nutrient restriction alters gene expression in the ovine fetal heart. J Physiol. 558:111-121. Harrison, G.S., M.E. Wierman, T.M. Nett, and L.M. Glode. 2004. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone and its receptor in normal and malignant cells. Endocr. Relat. Cancer 11:1-24. Hartt, L., S.J. Carling, M.M. Joyce, G.A. Johnson, D.K. Vanderwall, and T.L. Ott. 2005. Temporal and spatial associations of oestrogen receptor alpha and progesterone receptor expression in the endometrium of pregnant and non-pregnant mares. Reproduction, 130:1-11. Hess, B.W., S.L. Lake, E.J. Scholljegerdes, T.R. Weston, V. Nayigihugu, J.D.C. Molle, and G.E. Moss. 2005. Nutritional controls of beef cow reproduction. J. Animal Sci. 83: E90-106E. Jiang. Z., X.L. Wu, M.D. Garcia, K.B. Griffin, J.J. Michal, M. Zhang, V.D. Wasem, T.L. Ott, C.T.Gaskins, and R.W. Wright Jr. 2004. Comparative Gene-based Anatomy of Different Tissues/Organs in Cattle: Transcriptomes, Expression Similarities and Preferentially Expressed Genes Based on the Expressed Sequence Tags. Genome 47:1164-1172. Johnson, S.K. and M.L. Day. 2004. Methods to reduce or eliminate detection of estrus in a melengestrol acetate - PGF2a protocol for synchronization of estrus in beef heifers. J. Anim. Sci. 82:3071-3076. Kane, K.K., D.E. Hawkins, G.D. Pulsipher, D.J. Denniston, C.R. Krehbiel, M.G. Thomas, M.K. Petersen, D.M. Hallford, M.D. Remmenga, A.J. Roberts, and D.H. Keisler. 2004. Effect of increasing levels of undegradable intake protein on metabolic and endocrine factors in estrous cycling beef heifers. J. Anim. Sci. 82:283-291. Kiyma, Z., B.M. Alexander, E.A. Van Kirk, W.J. Murdoch, D.M. Hallford, and G.E. Moss. 2004. Effects of feed restriction on reproductive and metabolic hormones in ewes. J. Anim Sci. 82:2548-2557. Kobayashi, Y., F. Jimenez-Krassel, Q. Li, J. Yao, R. Huang, J.J. 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