Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Accomplishments:

The WERA-01 team met and shared information on current projects and research being conducted at each of the institutions.  Multiple institutions/participants are involved in deep phenotyping effots, collecting performance and physiological data not routinely gathered by the larger beef industry.  With that information genetic predictions for new economically relevant traits can be developed as well as the accuracy of current genetic predictions improved.  Producer education activities included efforts to help alleviate increasing incidence of pulmonary hypertension of beef cattle and associated mortalities.

Short-term Outcomes:

Continued collection of difficult and/or expensive-to-collect phenotypic trait measurements.

Expanded use and new trait development related to animal.

Planned cooperative use of animal/DNA resources to increase speed and enhance utility of research outcomes.

Outputs:

CO-3 Graduate students' degrees completed

WY and CO- presentation at Range Beef Cow Symposium for cattle producers on "Pulmonary hypertension:  New research and developments"

All-7 presentations and proceedings papers presented at the World Congress for Genetics Applied to Livestock Production (held every 4 years)

All-16 presentations to cattle industry professionals and producers

Activities:  Project Objectives and Relevant Research

1. Develop, disseminate, and maintain resources on the genetics of beef cattle and comparative genetics among cattle breeds and other species (e.g. sheep and wildlife) to support outreach, extension and education activities.
   • WA-Research focussed on improving understanding of fertility through placental physiology and identification of loci involved in fertility.
   • SD-We have collected enteric methane emission data on 1,494 grazing cows (Angus) along with a tissue sample for DNA extraction (see previous year’s report). The DNA has been extracted from these tissue samples. Enteric methane emissions are correlated with feed intake and measures of feed efficiency such as residual feed intake. We have genotyped DNA samples by sequencing (0.5X) to discover genetic variants on 384 of 1,494 samples. Genetic variants will be imputed from publicly available Angus genome sequences, and these variants will be used to estimate relationships between animals for heritability estimation. The variants will also be tested for an association with enteric methane emissions.  The enteric methane emission phenotypes allow us to investigate phenotypic and genetic variation and heritability of feed intake on grazing cows. This effort is significant because few research groups have studied the genetics of feed intake on grazing beef cows.
   • MT-Current research continues work on gene expression and metabolite biomarkers to increase understanding of fat deposition and identify biomarkers for precision feedlot management. Also investigating genetic basis and lifetime productivity impact of temperament in female cattle
   • CO-Research is ongoing investigating the relationship of bovine congestive heart failure, animal performance, and mortalities.  Additionally, collection of gas flux measures on grazing animals continues with current number of animals @ 320 head with project goals including development of grazing animal intake prediction equations as well as quantifying the relationship between oxygen consumption and pulmonary hypertension 

   • TX - Texas A&M University/AgriLife Research continues collaboration with USDA-ARS MARC on the Germplasm Evaluation Program (GPE), where Angus, Brahman, and reciprocal Angus x Brahman and Brahman x Angus F1 females at McGregor are bred to Angus and Brahman AI bulls used at both USMARC and McGregor. About 200 exposed females and 180 calves contributed data and DNA over the past year. 

2. Maintain animal populations, DNA and RNA repositories, and performance and health databases to suppot beef cattle phenomics research.
   • CO- maintains genomic and/or DNA information on over 4000 animals
   • SD-1494 DNA samples
   • MT-Added 120 DNA samples on heifers in the last year
3. Integrate quantitative and molecular research tools that contribute to the understanding of genetic associations among economically important traits and their indicators.
   • WA-Efforts include investigating fertility-related quantitative trait loci in regulatory regions of the bovine placenta
   • CO-Ongoing efforts include identification of loci involved with the pulmonary hypertension cascade.
4. Exchange information, discuss research results, plan new research, examin new developments, discuss future porblems, plan cooperative reserach and share ideas for interdisciplinary involvement in beef cattle breeding.
   • Annual meeting and additional virtual meetings will aid the committee to better coordinate and, at times, pool reserach data to reach study outcomes in sparse-data environment (e.g. gas flux and feed intake measures).

Washington

Extension Publications

Shira, Katie A., Murdoch, Brenda M., Murdoch, Gordon K., and Kimberly M. Davenport. Early skeletal maturity in beef heifers. Progressive Cattle. June 2, 2026.

Davenport, Kimberly M. Decoding pregnancy loss in beef cattle. Progressive Cattle. December 30, 2026.

Davenport, Kimberly M. Why the placenta might hold the key to better breeding outcomes. Progressive Dairy. October 9, 2025. 

Journal Articles

Wang, Zidao, Medeiros de Almeida, Jonathas, Davenport, Kimberly M., Behura, Susanta K., and Amanda L. Patterson. Mesenchymal-epithelial transition serves to transiently restore the endometrial epithelium in postpartum murine uterine regeneration. Communications Biology. 2026 May 11. doi: 10.1038/s42003-026-10236-6.

Davenport, Kimberly M., Estrada-Reyes, Zaira M., and Carrie S. Wilson. Editorial: Exploring the intersection of animal breeding, genetics, and genomics in modern agriculture. Frontiers in Genetics. 2026 April 16. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2026.1828383.

Xie, Shangqian, Davenport, Kimberly M., Salavati, Mazdak, Caulton, Alex, Clark, Emily L., Archibald, Alan L., Clarke, Shannon M., Brauning, Rudiger, Massa, Alisha T., Mousel, Michelle R., White, Stephen N., Worley, Kim C., Murdoch, Gordon K., Becker, Gabrielle M., Hadfield, Tracy, McKay, Stephanie D., Rosen, Benjamin D., Cockett, Noelle E., Smith, Timothy P.L., and Brenda M. Murdoch. Identification of cis-regulatory elements provides insights into tissue-specific gene regulation in the sheep genome. Nature Communications. 2026 March 16. doi: 10.1038/s41467-026-70382-7.

Leavitt, Morgan L., Patterson, Amanda L., Wagle, Morgan D., Warren, Wesley C., Spencer, Thomas E., and Kimberly M. Davenport. Cross-species identification of conserved cell-type specific mechanisms during early placenta development in ruminants. Scientific Reports. 2025 November 26. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-29895-2.

Sponchiado, Mariana, Gu, Weihong, Madrid, Darling M., Carroll, Rachel, Davenport, Kimberly M., Lucas, Caroline G., Sullivan, Riley M., Wells, Kevin D., Driver, John P., Warren, Wesley C., Prather, Randall S., and Rodney D. Geisert. Programming of the endometrial immune milieu by interferon gamma during early pregnancy in pigs. Biology of Reproduction. 2025 October 3. doi: 10.1093/biolre/ioaf221.

Suarez, Emaly M., Kelson, Victoria C., Kiser, Jennifer N., Davenport, Kimberly M., Murdoch, Brenda M., Herrick, Allison L., and Holly L. Neibergs. Loci associated with spontaneous abortion in primiparous Holstein cattle. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 2025 May 29. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1599401.

Xie, Shangqian, Hagen, Darren, Becker, Gabrielle M., Davenport, Kimberly M., Shira, Katie A., Stegemiller, Morgan R., Thorne, Jacob W., Khilji, Sarem, Konetchy, Denise, Villamediana, Patricia, Murdoch, Brenda M., and Stephanie D. McKay. Analyzing the relationship of RNA and DNA methylation with gene expression. Genome Biology. 2025 May 22. doi: 10.1186/s13059-025-03617-3.

Davenport, Kimberly M., Lockhart, Kelsey, McDonald, Katy, Schnabel, Robert D., Spencer, Thomas E., Ortega, M. Sofia. Genome-wide association analyses identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with in-vitro embryo cleavage and blastocyst rates in Holstein bulls. Journal of Dairy Science. 2025 April 28. doi: 10.3168/jds.2025-26496.

Davenport, Kimberly M., Lowke, Makenzie T., Ortega, M. Sofia, Kelleher, Andrew M., Warren, Wesley C., and Thomas E. Spencer. Single cell multiome analysis of the bovine placenta identifies gene regulatory networks in trophoblast differentiation. Biology of Reproduction. 2025 February 23. doi: 10.1093/biolre/ioaf036.

Colorado

Journal Articles

Gandolfo, I. M., J. D. Derner, R. M. Enns, L. A. Kuehn, M. K. Johnston, S. P. Kearney, S. E. Place, E. J. Raynor, J. P Ritten, A. M. Shadbolt, K. R. Stackhouse-Lawson J. d J. Vargas, and P. H. V. Carvalho.   Steer growth performance and enteric gas flux across backgrounding phases in the Western Great Plains.  Rangeland ecology & Management.  Vol. 103, Nov. 2025, Pages 247-257.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2025.08.010

Roderick A. González-Murray, Milton G. Thomas, Timothy Holt, Steven Coleman, R. Mark Enns, and Scott E. Speidel. 2025. Heterosis effects on preweaning traits in a multibreed beef cattle herd in Panama. Trop. Agric. (Trinidad) Vol 102 No. 4. October 2025.

Presented at World Congress of Genetics Applied to Livestock Production

Alvares, L. P. T., S. E. Speidel, K. Retallick, A. Garcia, P. Ramos, and R. M. Enns. Heritability and genomic correlations between pulmonary arterial pressure and heart score in Angus beef cattle.

Autry, P. A., R. M. Enns, M. L. Griffin, S. E. Speidel. Hair shedding scores in an Angus beef population at high elevation.

Giannini, M. L., S. E. Speidel, R M. Enns, S. K. Sanders, P. S. Bedwell, and H. D. Blackburn. Geographic characterization of Hereford cattle genetics in the United States.

Griffin, M. L., S. E. Speidel, S. K Sanders, P. S. Bedwell, and R. M. Enns. Genetic parameters for dry matter intake, methane emissions, nitrogen excretion, and carcass traits in Hereford cattle.

South Dakota

Journal Articles

Abrams, A.N., L.A. Kuehn, J.W. Keele, M.G. Gonda, and T.G. McDaneld.  2025. Evaluation of nasal microbial communities of beef calves during pre-weaning outbreak of bovine respiratory disease.  Animals 15(19): 2914.  https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15192914

Viskupič, F., R. Daly, D. Wiltse, and M.G. Gonda.  2026.  The relationship between personal COVID-19 vaccination decisions and cattle vaccination practices: Evidence from a survey of South Dakota beef producers. PLoS ONE 21(5): e0349234. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0349234

Proceedings Papers

Gonzalez-Hernandez, J.L., F. Boehm, J.M. Martin, M.G. Gonda, and P. Urso. 2026. Advancing Bison (Bison bison) Genomics to Strengthen Herd and Metapopulation Health and Resiliency. Proceedings, World Congress of Genetics Applied to Livestock Production, Accepted.

Anema, R.F., A.D. Lakamp, W.M. Snelling, S.C. Fernando, M.G. Gonda, and M.L. Spangler. 2026. Host genomic sequence recovery from metagenomic sequence data generated from rumen content samples collected by esophageal tubing. Proceedings, World Congress of Genetics Applied to Livestock Production, Accepted.

Abstracts

Gonzalez-Hernandez, J.L., M.G. Gonda, F. Boehm, R. Kaushik, P. Urso, J. Martin, and P. Naduvathu. 2026. Bison genomics at scale: 95.7 Mb auN assembly reveals a 90% fixed functional genome. Advances in Genome Biology and Technology Agricultural Meeting, Phoenix, AZ.

Lammers, S.E., Z.K. Smith, J.K. Grubbs, K.R. Underwood, C.E. Bakker, M.G. Gonda, J.L. Gonzalez Hernandez, K.C. Olson, and A. D. Blair. 2026. Programming Carcass Composition Through Gestational Nutrition. Reciprocal Meats Conference, Amarillo, TX.

Montana

Thomson, J. M., Davletbakov, A., and Frisina, M. R. (2026). Fine-Scale Population Structure and Relatedness of Argali (Ovis ammon) in Kyrgyzstan Revealed by High-Density SNP Data. Diversity, 18(3), 194. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/d18030194.

Schumacher, M., Boles, J. A., and Thomson, J. M. (in press). Gene Expression Differences in Muscle and Adipose Tissue Help Explain Variation in Meat Tenderness across USDA Carcass Grades in Beef and Fat Classes in Sheep. Animals. Accepted 16 June 2026. Manuscript ID: animals-4410267.

North Dakota

Journal Article

Anas, M., B. Zhao, H. Yu, C.R. Dahlen, K.C. Swanson, K.A. Ringwall, and L.L. Hulsman Hanna. 2025. Multi-trait phenotypic modeling through factor analysis and Bayesian network learning to develop latent reproductive, body conformational, and carcass-associated traits in admixed beef heifers. Front. Genet. 16:1551967. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2025.1551967

Abstract

Ali, I., H. Yu, J. Wang, T. Smith, R.C. Vann, J. Powell, J. Thorne, E. van Marle-Köster, L.W. Bauer, M. Rouquette, D.G. Riley, L.L. Hulsman Hanna. 2025. 190 Using two-dimensional facial images of Hereford crossbred cattle as a source of computable trait for facial patterns: From images to biological trait. J. Anim. Sci. 103 (Supplement_2): 2. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf170.002

Melby, C.S., D.G. Riley, C.R. Dahlen, K.C. Swanson, K.A. Ringwall, L.L. Hulsman Hanna. 2025. 191 Systematic effects influencing hair shedding in admixed beef heifers in the northern Great Plans. J. Anim. Sci. 103 (Supplement_2): 4. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf170.004