title: Effect of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms of Toll-Like Receptor 4 (TLR 4) on Reproductive Performance and Immune Function in Dairy Cows.
abstract: In dairy cows, inflammatory diseases caused by infection with pathogenic bacteria post calving affect ovarian functions. This study examined the relationship between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), reproductive performances [the number of artificial insemination (AI) application and days open], and immune cell functions (apoptosis and migration). Two hundred Holstein cows from the Obihiro University farm were included. The SNPs of TLR4 were genotyped by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. Polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from whole blood. The number of AI application in the animals with T/C genotype in the TLR4 exon3 was lower than that in animals with C/C genotype (1.6 ± 0.2 and 2.2 ± 0.2, respectively). Among the animals with TLR4 exon3 polymorphisms, the days open was shorter for the T/C cows than that for C/C cows (100.7 ± 6.9 days and 136.6 ± 9.0 days, respectively). The SNPs in the TLR4 intron did not affect the number of AI and days open. The apoptosis percentage of PMNs treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 0.001 and 1 μg/ml) tended to be lower in the T/C genotype compared to that in the C/C genotype. The transmigration rates of PMNs, and IL-1β production in PBMCs were tended to be higher for the animals with the T/C genotype compared to those for animals with the C/C genotype. Taken together, these results suggest that TLR4 polymorphisms offer a meaningful tool to judge the reproductive potential and immune activity in individual cows.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Animal and Food Hygiene, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, 0808555, Japan. shimizut@obihiro.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Animal and Food Hygiene, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, 0808555, Japan.
authors.forename: Yurie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Animal and Food Hygiene, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, 0808555, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Animal and Food Hygiene, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, 0808555, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumie
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Magata
authors.affiliation: Field Center of Animal Science and Agriculture, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, 0808555, Japan.
authors.forename: Chiho
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kawashima
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Animal and Food Hygiene, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, 0808555, Japan.
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D002417:Cattle; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000276:immunology*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D012098:Reproduction / Q000235:genetics*; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4 / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4
keywords: Cow; Immune cell function; Polymorphism; Reproductive performance; Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)