Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Hyatt Regency, Savannah, GA

January 9^th, 2022

11:08 – Dr. Checura asked for permission to record the meeting over Zoom and

              was agreed. 

11:10 – Motion to approve 2021 minutes -Dr. Daigneault, approved Dr. Bondioli

11:10 – Station reports:

-           Arkansas rep: Dr. Looney: > 645 cows for GnRH CIDR studies on dominant follicle development studies; sexed semen and Sexing Technologies with improved preg rates (Brangus 74% conception at D70); precision agriculture studies to reduce labor around working cattle – virtual CIDR

-           Missouri 11:20AM: rep Dr. Lee; Dr. Geisert still part of multi-state, Dr. Kiho Lee will represent. Research on activation of oocytes focused on zinc studies based on porcine work with relevance to bovine translation. Gene KO strategies to understand specific genes important for oogenesis and folliculogenesis. Efficiency of KO studies and optimizations using different CRISPR strategies.

-           Connecticut 11:40AM: – Dr. Tang – bovine induced pluripotent stem cells with focus on transgene silencing; refinement of media compatible for experimentation; Dr. Cindy Tian – 11:48 – plant derived antimicrobials to reduce antibiotic use in embryo and cell culture; in-vivo studies of oocyte maturation to understand dichotomy of in vitro vs in vivo;

-           Iowa – Dr. Young – 12:02 PM – Ethiopian oocyte/embryo research; microbiome research with sheep;

-           Florida – 12:15PM – sperm studies to improve shelf life at ambient temperature; roles of PPAR-gamma in sperm function; sheep characterization studies (female cyclicity and sperm); effects of TBT on sperm; embryo PPAR gamma functions;

-           Louisiana – 12:28PM – Dr. Bondioli; lipids in porcine oocytes (identification); glutathione and vitrification studies with cultures; 12:47PM - Dr. Jiang – gene profiling and epigenetic regulation of bovine embryos at multiple stages of preimplantation development; approaches to obtain higher single- cell coverage;

-           Maryland – Keefer – 1:11PM – moonlighting proteins in bovine embryos; glucose studies at different developmental stages of embryo development;

-           Michigan – Not Present

-           Mississippi 1:25PM – Dr. Feugang – equine follicular fluid characterization at different developmental stages; shotgun proteomic approaches to identify stage specific proteins; microvessicle content;

1:50 PM – Biological Break; decided to reconvene at 2:30PM

2:35PM – Continue Station Reports

-           Colorado – 2:35PM – Dr. Bouma – transfection of ovine trophoblast cells for androgen receptor studies

-           Montana – not present

-           Nebraska - Brett White – 2:52PM – GnRH receptor studies in transgenic porcine; endocrine profiles

-           Illinois – Dr. Wheeler – 3:08 PM – Oocyte maturation in cross bred cattle; practical application of embryo transfer; pig follicle in vitro maturation; sheep oocyte maturation; long bone models for non union defects in pigs;

-           Oklahoma – 3:30 PM – Dr. Nascimento – Regulation of conceptus elongation in bovine (transcriptomic, miRNA and open chromatin)

-           South Carolina – 3:39PM – Dr. Checura – oocyte maturation with focus on mitochondrial function and ATP; sheep as twin biomedical model for humans; role of mitochondria in developmental programming; mitochondrial studies with light

-           Utah – 4:07PM – Dr. Polejaeva – effect if cytokine supplemented maturation medium on bovine SCNT; mitochondrial studies on interspecies SCNT; small ruminant models of gene edited animals; modeling sickle cell disease – in utero gene therapy using sheep; improve efficiency of knock-in and point mutation introduction using different oligos; compounds that influence NHEJ and HR for DNA repair;

-           Washington State – 4:41PM – Dr. Du – Early embryo and fetal development; using mice and then beef cattle for later stages

-           California – 4:44PM – Dr. Berger – Sertoli cell research in testis; reduction of testicular estrogen in boars promotes Sertoli cell production; aromatase treatments to sustain estradiol levels;

4:57PM -Dr. Checura opened up the floor for further collaborative discussion;

-           Dr. Checura opened discussion for arrangements of 2023 meeting – decision on location will be dependent upon IETS decision of annual meeting next year. AETA in Orlando identified as a possible location.

- Motion by Dr. Nascimento, Seconded by Dr. Checura. Date is in October.

-           Dr. Checura nominated Dr. Nascimento for Secretary of 2023 meeting. Seconded by Dr. Daigneault. All agreed – 5:10PM

- 5:12 PM-       Dr. Checura motioned to adjourn. Dr. Tian seconded. All agreed. End minutes.

Accomplishments

Objective 1
Understand the biology of gamete development, fertilization and embryogenesis including the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms.

1. We have determined the 6-day CO-Synch protocol with GnRh and AI, 72 hrs. post CIDR removal + PGF is very effective in producing acceptable Fixed-Timed AI pregnancy rates in cows. Research and Workshops with ES and AI have improved our adoption of these technologies in Arkansas. Research on Pre-Synchronization and utilization of Gender-Selected semen has proven competitive commercially feasible results.
2. Reduction in aromatase activity with peripubertal and post pubertal development of the boar testis is associated with increased methylation.
3. Letrozole treatment has a prolonged effect on aromatase activity without increasing DNA methylation.
4. Follicle growth after ovarian cortex cryopreservation indicates that this can be a viable method to preserve follicles that could later be retrieved from the tissue for further culture.
5. We identified H3K9me3 as a reprogramming barrier for the generation of bovine iPSCs, and successfully established multiple primed- and naïve-like biPSC lines by targeting this epigenetic mark in reprogramming.
6. We completed collection of samples for future studies of follicular fluid dynamics during oocyte maturation. The analysis of the follicular fluid for electrolytes, hormones (progesterone and LH), metabolites, acid-base parameters have been completed.  Proteomics analysis has also been completed and data analysis is underway.  Metabolomics analysis is being conducted at Metabolon. 
7. Developed a modified semen extender compatible for long-term storage of frozen-thawed bovine sperm at ambient temperature.
8. Characterized the expression and localization of PPARʏ in bovine sperm.
9. Optimized pre-cooling conditions to increase storage time of cooled stallion sperm.
10. Characterized expression and function of nuclear proteins important for bovine in vitro embryo development.
11. Demonstrated impacts of environmental toxicants on post-ejaculatory sperm function.
12. Results show that performing DFR in half-blood Bos taurus X Bos indicus cattle is beneficial for the development of higher quality COCs and a shorter interval of OPU following DFR in Bos taurus X Bos indicus cattle increases the number of higher quality COCs.
13. The addition of AMH and/or FSH did not affect follicular survival and growth in pigs. α-MEM is a more effective base medium than NCSU23 for the in vitro follicular development of pig preantral follicles and AMH reduces the steroid production induced by FSH.
14. These results have shown that ethanol addition augmented the follicular and oocyte degeneration rates but increased the estradiol production and the meiotic resumption. Furthermore, the follicular metabolomic profile was similar between ethanol and rbFSH treatments but different from the control treatment in sheep.
15. The results have shown a beneficial effect of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplementation on bull semen quality.
16. The porcine radius segmental defect model provides a viable platform for testing printed scaffolds and bioengineered composite scaffold constructs for the efficacy of healing segmental defects and other forms of non-union in long bones.
17. We conducted a preliminary study on the feasibility of producing bovine embryos in vitro in Ethiopia and demonstrated that abattoir-derived ovaries can yield suitable cumulus-oocyte complexes.
18. Using an improved Scarce Sample Polysomal-profiling (SSP-profiling) approach, we systematically and comparatively analyzed the transcriptome, polysome- and nonpolysome-bound mRNA profiles of bovine oocytes and early embryos at 2-, 8-cell, morula, and blastocyst stage, and presented the first translatome dynamics during mammalian preimplantation embryo development.
19. Using a hybrid network architecture, a mixture of convolutional neural network (CNN) and recurrent neural network (RNN), the missing CpGs sites by WGBS were predicted. With this approach, we provide a completed DNA methylome dynamics in bovine preimplantation embryo development and reveal critical features of the bovine embryo methylomes that are not characterized by the scWGBS technology alone.
20. The effects of maternal gestational restricted- and over-nutrition on semen parameters and sperm epigenetics (small RNAs) in F1 generations were tested. Semen analysis did not detect statistically differences in semen characteristics (volume, pH, sperm concentration and motility) between RES, OVER and CON groups. However, both sperm small RNA composition and expression levels were significantly altered in responses to poor maternal gestational nutrition in sheep.
21. Using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry the lipid profiles of individual porcine oocytes was profiled during in vitro
22. Accumulation of cytoplasmic glutathione (GSH) was increased in bovine oocytes by addition of a cell permeable substrate, GSH ethyl ester, during in vitro maturation.
23. Tests are ongoing with standards to develop new protocols for analyzing the spent media to analyze metabolic flux.
24. RNA sequencing data were generated for mouse, bovine, and rhesus GV and MII stage oocytes.
25. Dairy cattle that either lose or maintain/gain body condition during lactations were compared. Changes in serum lipid profiles were identified and oocyte transcriptomes were examined by RNA sequencing. Changes in pathways and functions detected at the transcriptome level were mechanistically linked to serum lipid changes using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. Manuscript has been submitted.
26. Numerous differentially regulated proteins (up and down) were directed to the equine follicle deviation (26), development (13), and ovulation (4). In addition, the 53 uniquely classified high abundant proteins across developmental follicle stages showed differential detection levels.
27. Zn chelators possess specific effects on pig and cow oocytes.
28. Production of GDF9 knockout pigs. Detailed analysis at puberty should expand our knowledge on the involvement of GDF9 on oogenesis.
29. Results are confirming a role for transsulfuration and de novo glutathione synthesis, as was predicted from our earlier studies. However, we are also now beginning to uncover many other metabolic realignments in sulfur utilization and in amino acid metabolism that is providing unexpected insights into how liver responds to and survives oxidative and toxic stresses.
30. During the follicular phase of the estrous cycle, serum from GnRHR-II KD gilts tended to have approximately 20% lower concentrations of 17ß-estradiol compared to littermate control gilts.
31. Throughout the follicular phase, transgenic females secreted less LH than counterpart pubertal control gilts. Although numerical reductions were observed, average circulating concentrations for FSH, LH and progesterone were not different between GnRHR-II KD and littermate control gilts. The duration of FSH pulses in GnRHR-II KD animals was significantly reduced vs. littermate control gilts. The frequency of FSH pulses tended to be higher in control gilts compared to GnRHR-II KD females. Antral follicles tended to be larger in GnRHR-II KD gilts; however, total antral follicle counts were not different between lines. Neither body weight nor ovarian, uterine or oviduct weights differed between GnRHR-II KD and littermate control females.
32. A defined photobiomodulation system (time, wavelength, and intensity) that affect oocyte competence has been developed.
33. FLI cytokine supplemented maturation medium improved bovine oocyte maturation, blastocyst development and pregnancy rate. Importatntly, a four-fold greater full-term development rate using this treatment was achievd following somatic cell nuclear transfer.
34. We developed a method allowing significantly decrease the mtDNA copy numbers in oocytes P<0.001 that might be beneficial for iSCNT.
35. Established techniques for ooplasmic biopsies followed by successful parthenogenote development in vitro and quantification of mRNA content from biopsies. Micromanipulation techniques were used to sample oocyte cytoplasm for molecular analysis but leaving enough cytoplasm to support early development. EmbryoArray and well-of-the-well (WoW) systems were used to track development of biopsied oocytes.  Micro-scale RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis, followed by nano-scale qPCR analysis of biopsy-derived cDNA were perfected to allow for molecular analysis of representative subsamples of MII-arrested bovine oocytes AND concurrent development of the biopsied oocytes. 
36. Long noncoding RNA, Dio3os, via inhibiting D3 activity, promotes local thyroid hormone signaling and prenatal brown adipose tissue development. Dio3os expression is regulated by DNA methylation, which is enhanced due to maternal obesity, suppressing its expression. Elevation of DNA methylation of the Dio3os promoter has an oocyte origin.

Objective 2
Refine methods to produce animals by genetic engineering or genome editing for the improvement of livestock production efficiency and development of human biomedical models.

1. No off-target editing was detected in blastocysts or conceptuses following CRISPR editing.
2. A review paper was submitted and published providing an overview on the role androgen in placental development and pregnancy (Life (Basel). 2021 Jul 1;11(7):644.)
3. A book chapter was contributed and published in Reproductive Hormones describing the importance of androgens in pregnancy. (Chapter 4 Androgen Signaling in the Placenta).
4. The genetic modification of cattle is a powerful tool for biotechnology. It allows for the generation of new or modified products and functionality that are not currently available in this species.
5. ASC can be successfully edited to express GFP, and results suggest that utilizing a dual fluorescent label sorting strategy does not enhance the number of GFP ASC colonies isolated.
6. Development of a culture condition enables the long-term culture of bovine TSC without altered morphology and differentiation from bovine IVF embryos. The generated bovine TSCs were fully characterized for its self-renewal, pluripotency, molecular features, and in vitro developmental potential.
7. Utilization of an extended incubation time after warming of vitrified bovine oocytes resulted in ATP concentration of oocytes remaining the same, however, oocytes that underwent 4 hours of culture after warming were similar to the none vitrified control group in regards with mitochondrial membrane potential.
8. Secured CRISPR/Cas9 systems resulting in different off-target activities.
9. A database of Doppler measurements for pregnancies under different conditions (singleton vs. twins, different sires; maternal feed restriction, etc) is under development.
10. We developed an efficient protocol for the introduction of human specific mutations into the sheep fetal fibroblast cells using CRISPR/Cas9 RNP + ssODN approach.
11. Conditions for CF mutation correction in ovine-bovine iSCNT preimplantation embryos in vitro were optimized.
12. Preliminary results on using a combination of M3814 (a DNA-dependent protein kinase inhibitor) and RS-1 (enhancer of hRAD51 binding) to increase efficiency of HDR look promising.

Publications

1. Refereed articles/book chapters

Berger, T., J. Vanselow, A. Conley, T. J. Almand, and B. S. Nitta-Oda. 2021. Multifaceted epigenetic regulation of porcine testicular aromatase. Mol Cell Endocrinol 541:111526. doi: 10.1016/j.mce.2021.111526

Vanselow, J., A. J. Conley, and T. Berger. 2021a. Aromatase and the three little paralogs. Biol Reprod 105(1):5-6. doi: 10.1093/biolre/ioab112

Vanselow, J., A. J. Conley, C. J. Corbin, and T. Berger. 2021b. Genomic Structure of the Porcine CYP19 Locus and Expression of the CYP19A3 Paralog. Genes (Basel) 12(4)doi: 10.3390/genes12040533

Parsons AM, Bouma GJ. A Potential Role and Contribution of Androgens in Placental Development and Pregnancy. Life (Basel). 2021 Jul 1;11(7):644.

Dailey DD, Hess AM, Bouma GJ, Duval DL. 2021. MicroRNA Expression Changes and Integrated Pathways Associated With Poor Outcome in Canine Osteosarcoma. Front Vet Sci 8:637622

Ali A, Hadlich F, Abbas MW, Iqbal MA, Tesfaye D, Bouma GJ, Winger QA, Ponsuksili S. 2021. MicroRNA-mRNA Networks in Pregnancy Complications: A Comprehensive Downstream Analysis of Potential Biomarkers. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Feb 25;22(5):2313.

Parsons Aubone, AP, Evans R, Bouma GJ. 2021. “Androgen Signaling in the Placenta”, in Reproductive Hormones, InTech Open, Editor: Marsh C. Chapter 4.

Ranjitkar S, Zhang D, Sun F, Salman S, He W, Venkitanarayanan K, Tulman ER, and Tian X. 2021. Cytotoxic effects on cancerous and non-cancerous cells of trans-cinnamaldehyde, carvacrol, and eugenol. Sci Rep: 11:16281. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-95394-9.

Su Y, Wang L, Fan Z, Liu Y, Zhu J, Kaback D, Oudiz J, Patrick T, Yee SP, Tian XC, Polejaeva I, Tang Y. 2021. Establishment of Bovine-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Int J Mol Sci. 22(19), 10489; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms221910489.

Sang L, Xiao Y, Jiang Z, Forde N, Tian XC, Lonergan P, Hansen PJ. 2021. Atlas of receptor genes expressed by the bovine morula and corresponding ligand-related genes expressed by uterine endometrium. Mol Reprod Dev. 88(10):694-704. doi: 10.1002/mrd.23534.

Daigneault BW. Dynamics of paternal contributions to embryo development in large

animals. Biol Reprod. 2021 Feb 11;104(2):274-281. doi: 10.1093/biolre/ioaa182.

Daigneault BW and Miller DJ. Transient receptor potential polycystin-2 (TRPP2) regulates

motility and intracellular calcium of porcine sperm. Andrologia, 2021 Sep;53(8) :e14124. doi:

10.1111/and.14124

Renato Félix da Silva, Laritza Lima, Rebeca Rocha, Ivina Brito, Gerlane Silva,

Hudson Correia, Giovanna Rodrigues, Anna Clara Ferreira, Diana Nunes-Pinheiro, Arlindo Moura, Larissa Silveira, Edson G. Lo Turco, Matthew B. Wheeler, Ana Paula Rodrigues, Claudio Campello, José R. Figueiredo. (2021). In vitro long term culture of isolated ovine preantral follicle: influence of ethanol on steroid production, oocyte meiotic resumption and metabolomic profile. Research in Veterinary Science, 135:432-441 doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2020.10.029

Liman, M.S., Cardoso, C.L, Franco, V., Longobardi, V., Gasparrini, B., Wheeler, M.B., Rubessa, M. and Esposito, G. (2021). Effects of dietary supplementation ofconjugated linoleic acids and their inclusion in semen extenders on bovine sperm quality. Animals (2021), 11, 483. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11020483

Milner, D.J., Long, S.A., Flanagan, C.L., Hollister, S.J., Gurtler, R., Bane, R., Zimmerman, J., Cameron, J.A, Gutierrez-Nibeyro, S.D., Wheeler, M.B. A Porcine Model for Repair of Long Bone Non-Union Defects Using Three-Dimensionally Printed Scaffolds. J Regenerative Medicine & Biology Res. 2021;2 (2):1-10. http://dx.doi.org/10.46889/JRMBR.2021.2203

Dewey, M.J., Milner, D.J., Weisgerber, D., Flanagan, C.L., Rubessa, M., Lotti, S., Polkoff, K.M., Crotts, S., Hollister, S.J., Wheeler, M.B., Harley, B.A.C. 2021. Repair of critical-size porcine craniofacial bone defects using a collagen-         polycaprolactone composite biomaterial. Biofabrication 2021 Oct 18. doi: 10.1088/1758-5090/ac30d5. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34663761.

Rocha, R. M. P., Rubessa, M., Lima, L. F. de , Silva, A. F. B. da, Winters, R., Polkoff, K., Milner, D., Campello, C. C., Figueiredo, J. R. de, Wheeler, M. B. 2021. Effect of base media, FSH and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) alone or in combination on the growth of pig preantral follicles in vitro. Research, Society and Development, [S. l.], v. 10, n. 15, p. e53101522488DOI: 10.33448/rsd-v10i15.22488. https://rsdjournal.org/index.php/rsd/article/view/22488. Accessible: 20 nov. 2021.

Monzani, O.S., Adona, P.R., Long, A.S., Wheeler, M.B. (2021). Cows as bioreactors for the production of nutritionally and biomedically significant proteins. G. Wu (ed.), Recent Advances in Animal Nutrition and Metabolism, Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology 1354,gs. 299-314. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-85686-1_15

Wilson, S.M., Goldwasser, M.S., Clark, S.G., Monaco, E., Rodriguez-Zas, S., Hurley, W.L., Wheeler, M.B. (2021). Adipose-Derived Stem Migration in the Vascular System after Transplantation and the Potential Colonization of Ectopic Sites in Swine. J Regenerative Medicine & Biology Res. 2021;2(3):1-26. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.46889/JRMBR.2021.2302

Ali, S, T Degefa, A Lemma, and CR Youngs. 2021. Presence of CL influence on the quantity and quality of COC in slaughterhouse-derived ovaries of Boran heifers. World News of Natural Sciences 34:29-37, http://www.worldnewsnaturalsciences.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/WNOFNS-34-2021-29-37-1.pdf

Benaissa, MH, N Mimoune, B Faye, Y Bentria, FZ Mimouni, CR Youngs, and R Kaidi. 2021. First serological evidence of BHV-1 virus in Algerian dromedary camels: Seroprevalence and associated risk factors.  Comparative Immunology, Microbiology, and Infectious Diseases 76:101638, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cimid.2021.101638

Koester LR, AL Petry, CR Youngs, and S Schmitz-Esser. 2021. Ewe vaginal microbiota: associations with pregnancy outcome and changes during gestation. Frontiers in Microbiology 12:745884. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2021.745884

Whitaker BD, WR Lamberson, MF Smith, BS Walters, and CR Youngs. 2021. What best animal science teachers do. Translational Animal Science 5:1-6,txaa223, https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txaa223

Diaz FA, Gutierrez-Castillo EJ, Foster BA, Hardin PT, Bondioli, KR, Jiang Z. Evaluation of seasonal heat stress on transcriptomic profiles and global DNA methylation of bovine oocytes. Front Genet. 2021. PMID: 34777457.

Sang L, Xiao Y, Jiang Z, Forde N, Tian XC, Lonergan P, Hansen PJ. Atlas of receptor genes expressed by the bovine morula and corresponding ligand‐related genes expressed by uterine endometrium. Mol Reprod Dev. 2021 Oct. PMID: 34596291.

Li C, Sun J, Liu Q, Ming H, Wang L, Li Y, Li R, Jiang Z, Francis J, Fu X. The landscape of accessible chromatin in quiescent and post-myocardial infarction cardiac fibroblasts. Epigenetics 2021. PMID: 34551670.

Iyyappan R, Aleshkina D, Zhu L, Jiang Z, Kinterova V, Susor A. Oocyte specific LncRNA variant Rose influences oocyte and embryo development. Non-coding RNA research. 2021 June. PMID: 34278057.

Zhu L, Marjani SL, Jiang Z. The epigenetics of gametes and early embryos and potential long-range consequences in livestock species - filling in the picture with epigenomic analyses. Front Genet. 2021 Mar 2. PMID: 33747031.

Gutierrez-Castillo, E., Hao, M., Foster, G., Gatenby, L., Chun, M., Pinto, C., Bondioli, K., Jiang, Z.  2021. "Effect of vitrification on global gene expression dynamics of bovine elongating embryos." Reproduction, Fertility and Development 33(5): 338-348.

Schall PZ, Latham KE. Essential shared and species-specific features of mammalian oocyte maturation-associated transcriptome changes impacting oocyte physiology.  Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2021 Jul 1;321(1):C3-C16. doi: 10.1152/ajpcell.00105.2021. Epub 2021 Apr 21. PMID: 33881934

Ruebel ML, Zambelli F, Schall PZ, Barragan M, VandeVoort CA, Vassena R, Latham KE. Shared aspects of mRNA expression associated with oocyte maturation failure in humans and rhesus monkeys indicating compromised oocyte quality.  Physiol Genomics. 2021 Apr 1;53(4):137-149. doi: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00155.2020. Epub 2021 Feb 8. PMID: 33554756

Placentation in Mammals: Tribute to EC Amoroso’s contributions to Viviparity. 2021.  Eds. R.D. Geisert and T. Spencer. Advances in Anatomy, Embryology and Cell Biology, Springer.  Print ISBN 978-3-030-77359-5

Geisert R.D. and T.E. Spencer. 2021. Chapter 1: Introduction. In: Placentation in Mammals: Tribute to EC Amoroso’s contributions to Viviparity. Advances in Anatomy, Embryology and Cell Biology, Springer.

Green J.A., R.D. Geisert, G.A. Johnson and T.E. Spencer. 2021. Chapter 7: Implantation and Placentation in Ruminants. In: Placentation in Mammals: Tribute to EC Amoroso’s contributions to Viviparity. Advances in Anatomy, Embryology and Cell Biology, Springer.

Hay A., Farrell K., Leeth, C.M., Lee K. 2022. Use of genome editing techniques to produce transgenic farm animals. Adv Exp Med Biol. 1354:279-297. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-85686-1_14.

Johns D.N., C.G. Lucas, C.A. Pfeiffer, A.E. Meyer, P.R. Chen, S.D. Perry, R.M. Sullivan, L.D. Spate, R.F. Cecil, M.A. Fudge, M.S. Samuel, K.M. Whitworth, C.M. Spinka, H. Liu, M.F. Smith, K.D. Wells, R.S. Prather, T.E. Spencer, and R.D. Geisert. 2021. Conceptus Interferon Gamma is Essential for Pregnancy in the Pig. Biol Reprod 105: 1577–1590. https://doi.org/10.1093/biolre/ioab186 https://doi.org/10.1093/biolre/ioab186

Chen P.R., C.G. Lucas, R.F. Cecil., C.A. Pfeiffer, M.A. Fudge, M.S. Samuel, M. Zigo, H. Seo, L.D. Spate, K.M. Whitworth, P. Sutovsky, K.D. Wells, R.D. Geisert, and R.S. Prather. 2021. Disrupting porcine glutaminase does not impair preimplantation development and elongation nor decrease mTORC1 activation. Biol Reprod 105:1104–1113. https://doi.org/10.1093/biolre/ioab165

Geisert R.D., A.E. Meyer, C.A. Pfeiffer, D.N. Johns, K. Lee, K.D. Wells, T.E. Spencer, and R.S. Prather. 2021. Gene Editing to Investigate Role of Conceptus Factors in Establishment of Pregnancy. Reproduction 161: R79-R88.

Timlin C.L., Lynn A., Wooldridge L.K., Uh K., Ealy A.D., White R.R., Lee K., Mercadante V.R.G. 2021. Physical parameters of bovine activated oocytes and zygotes as predictors of development success. Zygote. Mar 19;1-7. doi: 10.1017/S0967199421000058. Online ahead of print.

Uh K., Hay A., Chen P., Reese E., Lee K. 2021. Design of novel oocyte activation methods: The role of zinc. Biol Reprod. Dec 22; ioab235. doi: 10.1093/biolre/ioab235. Online ahead of print.

Miller CG, Kundert JA, Prigge JR, Amato JA, Perez AE, Coppo L, Rizzo GN, Kavanaugh MP, Orlicky DJ, Shearn CT, Schmidt EE. Supplemental Ascorbate Diminishes DNA Damage Yet Depletes Glutathione and Increases Acute Liver Failure in a Mouse Model of Hepatic Antioxidant System Disruption. Antioxidants (Basel). 2021 Feb 27;10(3). doi: 10.3390/antiox10030359. PubMed PMID: 33673577; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7997133.

Gauthier AG, Wu J, Lin M, Sitapara R, Kulkarni A, Thakur GA, Schmidt EE, Perron JC, Ashby CR Jr, Mantell LL. The Positive Allosteric Modulation of alpha7-Nicotinic Cholinergic Receptors by GAT107 Increases Bacterial Lung Clearance in Hyperoxic Mice by Decreasing Oxidative Stress in Macrophages. Antioxidants (Basel). 2021 Jan 19;10(1). doi: 10.3390/antiox10010135. PubMed PMID: 33477969; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7835977.

Desaulniers, A.T., R.A. Cederberg, E.A. Carreiro, C.B. Gurumurthy and B.R. White. 2021. A transgenic pig model expressing a CMV-ZsGreen1 reporter across an extensive array of tissues. J. Biomed. Res. 35(2):163-173.

Viotti Perisse I., Fan Z., Van Wettere A., Liu Y., Leir SH., Keim J., Regouski M, Wilson M.D., Cholewa K.M., Mansbach S.N., Kelley T.J., Wang Z., Harris A.*, White K.L., Polejaeva I.A.* (2021). Sheep models of F508del and G542X cystic fibrosis mutations show cellular responses to human therapeutics. FASEB Bioadv. 3(10):841-54. PubMed PMID: 34632318; PMCID: PMC8493969.

Polejaeva I.A.* (2021) 25th ANNIVERSARY OF CLONING BY SOMATIC CELL NUCLEAR TRANSFER: Generation of genetically engineered livestock using somatic cell nuclear transfer. Reprod Suppl. 162(1):F11-F22. PubMed PMID: 34042607.

Cuthbert, J. M., Russell, S. J., Polejaeva, I.A., Meng, Q., White, K. L., & Benninghoff, A.* (2021). Comparing mRNA and sncRNA profiles during the maternal-to-embryonic transition in bovine IVF and scNT embryos. Biology of Reproduction. PubMed PMID: 34514499.

Cuthbert, J. M., Russell, S. J., Polejaeva, I. A., Meng, Q., White, K. L., & Benninghoff, A. D.* (2021). Dynamics of small non-coding RNAs in bovine scNT embryos through the maternal-to-embryonic transition. Biology of Reproduction. PubMed PMID: 34086842.

Su Y., Wang L., Fan Z., Liu Y., Zhu J., Kaback D., Oudiz J., Patrick T., Yee SP, Tian X(C), Polejaeva I.* and Tang Y.* (2021). Establishment of Bovine-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 22(19), 10489; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms221910489

Perisse, I., Fan, Z., Singina, G. N., White, K. L., & Polejaeva, I.A.* (2021). Improvements in Gene Editing Technology Boost Its Applications in Livestock. Frontiers in Genetics, 11: 614688. PubMed PMID: 33603767; PMCID: PMC7885404.

Rose, M. F., Waldron, B. L., Isom, S. C., Peel, M. D., Thornton-Kurth, K., Miller, R. L., Rood, K. A., Hadfield, J. A., Long, J., Henderson, B., and Creech, J. E. (2021). “The effects of organic grass and grass-birdsfoot trefoil pastures on Jersey heifer development: Herbage characteristics affecting intake.” Journal of Dairy Science, USA, 104(10), 10879-10895.

Hadfield, J., Waldron, B. L., Isom, S.C., Creech, J. E., Rose, M. F., Long, J., Miller, R. L., Rood, K. A., Young, A., Stott, R. D., Sweat, A., and Thornton-Kurth, K. (2021). “The effects of grass and grass-legume pastures on organic dairy heifer development: Heifer growth and performance.” Journal of Dairy Science, USA, 104(10), 10863-10878.

Zhao, Y., Bunch, T. D., and Isom, S.C. (2021). “Effects of electrical biostimulation and silver ions on porcine fibroblast cells. PLoS One. 16(2):e0246847. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0246847. PMID: 33566869; PMCID: PMC7875371.

Chen, Y.T., Q.Y. Yang, Y. Hu, X.D. Liu, J.M. de Avila, M.J. Zhu, P.W. Nathanielsz, and M. Du. 2021.  Imprinted LncRNA Dio3os preprograms intergenerational brown fat thermogenesis and obese resistance. Nat. Commun. 12: 6845.

2. Books, non-refereed book chapters, proceedings, instructional media, theses/dissertations

Hahn, Matthew D. Methods to Reducing Weaning Stress in Early Weaned Spring Beef Calves. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Animal Science. University of Arkansas Bachelor of Science in Animal Science, 2019 May 2021.

Jahnke M and CR Youngs. 2021. Superovulation in cattle. In (RM Hopper, Ed) Bovine Reproduction, 2nd Ed., pages 1032-1040.

MM Jahnke, JK West, and CR Youngs. 2020. Evaluation of in vivo-derived bovine embryos. In (RM Hopper, Ed) Bovine Reproduction, 2nd Ed., pages 1073-1090.

Destiney N. Johns. 2021. Conceptus Interferon Gamma is Essential for Pregnancy Maintenance in the Pig. MS Thesis

Fonnesbeck, Sawyer (2021).  The Influence of Dairy Breed and Forage Type on Organic Dairy Heifer Performance.  MS Thesis #8340.  Utah State University. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/8340/

3. Abstracts

Comparison of two ultrasound systems for estimation of carcass attributes in feedlot steers. N. Jesko*, T. L. Perkins*, J. Richeson*, T. E. Lawrence, and C. Looney⸭ *West Texas A&M University, Canyon, Texas 79016; ⸭ University of Arkansas, Hope, Beef Improvement Federation, June 22-25,2021, Des Moines, IA.

Evaluation of fixed-time artificial insemination and estrus expression in Angus-cross heifers with female sex-sorted semen using 6-day and 7-day CIDR protocols at multiple time intervals. W. E. Weber¹, J. G. Powell¹, B. P. Littlejohn¹, E. B. Kegley¹, N. N. Noga¹, C. R. Looney²¹Department of Animal Science, Division of Agriculture, University of Arkansas System, Fayetteville, AR²Department of Animal Science, Division of Agriculture, University of Arkansas System, Hope, AR.

Comparison of 6-day versus 7-day CIDR protocol with GnRH and PGFα to synchronize crossbred beef cows for fixed-timed AI with sexed semen at two different times. 

Nicole N. Noga¹, Jeremy Powell¹, Brittni Littlejohn¹, Whitney Rook², Martin L. Mussard³, Alvaro Garcia Guerra³, Charles R. Looney²¹Department of Animal Science, Division of Agriculture, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, ²Department of Animal Science, Division of Agriculture, University of Arkansas, Hope, AR, ³Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.

Pre-synchronization using an intravaginal progesterone device improves fertility in suckled beef cows submitted to fixed time artificial insemination.  A.E. Crist¹; J. C. L. Motta¹; C. Hayden¹; C. Rykaczewski¹; M. Mussard¹; C.R. Looney²; A. Garcia-Guerra¹¹Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.²Department of Animal Science, University of Arkansas, Hope, AR, USA. International Congress on Animal Reproduction, June, 2033, Bologna, Italy

Influence of prenatal exposure to endophyte-infected tall fescue on glucose metabolism in weaned steer calves. R. F. Benefield¹, D. S. Hubbell², D. L. Galloway¹, C. R. Looney³, J. G. Powell¹, E. B. Kegley¹, B. P. Littlejohn¹¹Department of Animal Science, Division of Agriculture, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR²Livestock and Forestry Research Station, Division of Agriculture, University of Arkansas, Batesville, AR ³Department of Animal Science, Division of Agriculture, University of Arkansas, Hope, AR, Journal of Animal Science, submitted.

Candelaria, JI; Denicol, AC. Culturing bovine ovarian cortex may rescue damages caused by cryopreservation on the extracellular matrix, follicle, and stromal morphology. Submitted to the 2022 International Congress in Animal Reproduction, Bologna, Italy.

Guiltinan, C; Candelaria, JI; Rabaglino, MB; Smith, JM; Denicol, AC. Derivation and evaluation of bovine embryonic stem cells from early and full blastocyst stage embryos. Reprod, Fert Dev 34(1-2), 2022. https://doi.org/10.1071/RDv34n2abs

Weldon, BM; Denicol AC. Single cell transcriptomic analysis of the bovine adult ovarian cortex reveals remodeling characteristics of stromal cells. Submitted to the 2022 International Congress in Animal Reproduction, Bologna, Italy.

Gerrit J. Bouma, Agata M. Parsons, Jeremy D. Cantlon, Fiona K. Hollinshead, Quinton A. Winger, Jason E. Bruemmer. Androgen Receptor Signaling in Placenta. Society for the Study of Reproduction 54th Annual Meeting, St. Louis, MO, USA. 2021

Agata M. Parsons, Gerrit J. Bouma, Adam J. Chicco. Androgen receptor – A potential novel player in placental mitochondria function. Society for the Study of Reproduction 54th Annual Meeting, St. Louis, MO, USA. 2021

“Cloning & Gene Editing Technologies: Potential use in a breeding program?”, Multi-purpose Canine Workshop, C. Wayne McIlwraith Translational Medicine Institute, Fort Collins, CO. 2021

“Manipulating genes during placental development in sheep”, Emerging Topics in Reproduction 2021, University of Sao Paulo & Texas A & M, Webinar.

Gungor OF, Salman S, Ranjitkar S, Zhang D, Tian XC. 2022. Metabolic and Acid-base Parameters in Blood, Follicular, Oviductal and Uterine fluids during in vivo Maturation of Bovine Oocytes. Fertility and Development 33(1) ???. Poster at the 48th annual meeting of the International Embryo Technology Society, January 10-13, 2021, Savannah, GA, USA.

Losano JDA, Parks J, Bromfield JJ, Daigneault BW. Rosiglitazone extends maintenance of frozen–thawed bull sperm for 24 hours at ambient temperature. Proc. Society for the Study of Reproduction 48h Annual Meeting 2021, RFD https://doi.org/10.1071/RDv34n2abs

McGraw M, Daigneault BW. Functional characterization of PPAR