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urn:nbn:nl:ui:32-410000 2026-03-31 urn:nbn:nl:ui:32-410000/mods Gene expression patterns in four brain areas associate with quantitative measure of estrous behavior in dairy cows Kommadath A. 340293047 0000-0003-3587-6670 0000000393176672 aut Woelders H. 074498770 0000000396777166 aut Beerda B. 156039745 0000-0002-6776-1969 0000000363144995 aut Mulder H.A. 340585188 0000-0003-2124-4787 0000000054872614 aut de Wit A.A.C. 314620826 0000000392832981 aut Veerkamp R.F. 314602232 0000-0002-5240-6534 0000000396451684 aut te Pas M.F.W. 08502631X 0000-0001-8849-3011 0000000108965331 aut Smits M.A. 068839472 0000000394811295 aut text info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2011 10.1186/1471-2164-12-200 2-s2.0-79955104248 000291360400001 en Background: The decline noticed in several fertility traits of dairy cattle over the past few decades is of major concern. Understanding of the genomic factors underlying fertility, which could have potential applications to improve fertility, is very limited. Here, we aimed to identify and study those genes that associated with a key fertility trait namely estrous behavior, among genes expressed in four bovine brain areas (hippocampus, amygdala, dorsal hypothalamus and ventral hypothalamus), either at the start of estrous cycle, or at mid cycle, or regardless of the phase of cycle. Results: An average heat score was calculated for each of 28 primiparous cows in which estrous behavior was recorded for at least two consecutive estrous cycles starting from 30 days post-partum. Gene expression was then measured in brain tissue samples collected from these cows, 14 of which were sacrificed at the start of estrus and 14 around mid cycle. For each brain area, gene expression was modeled as a function of the orthogonally transformed average heat score values using a Bayesian hierarchical mixed model. Genes whose expression patterns showed significant linear or quadratic relationships with heat scores were identified. These included genes expected to be related to estrous behavior as they influence states like socio-sexual behavior, anxiety, stress and feeding motivation (OXT, AVP, POMC, MCHR1), but also genes whose association with estrous behavior is novel and warrants further investigation. Conclusions: Several genes were identified whose expression levels in the bovine brain associated with the level of expression of estrous behavior. The genes OXT and AVP play major roles in regulating estrous behavior in dairy cows. Genes related to neurotransmission and neuronal plasticity are also involved in estrous regulation, with several genes and processes expressed in mid-cycle probably contributing to proper expression of estrous behavior in the next estrus. Studying these genes and the processes they control improves our understanding of the genomic regulation of estrous behavior expression. WIAS Wageningen Livestock Research Bacteriology, Host Pathogen Interaction & Diagnostics Animal Breeding & Genomics Research Chair Ethology Animal Breeding and Genomics amygdala anxiety gonadal-hormones mediobasal hypothalamus mice mouse nervous-system oxytocin receptor-beta sexual receptivity WIAS Wageningen Livestock Research Bacteriologie, Host Pathogen Interactie & Diagnostiek Fokkerij & Genomica Onderzoek Leerstoelgroep Ethologie Animal Breeding and Genomics BMC Genomics 12 10 14712164 urn:nbn:nl:ui:32-410000/obj 2026-03-31 http://purl.org/eprint/accessRights/OpenAccess