[Summary] [Objectives] [Team] [Reports] [Results' valorisation]

Project category:	PN-II-ID-PCE-2007-1
Name of project:	PHENOTYPIC AND GENETIC CHARACTERIZATION OF THE ROMANIAN GREY STEPPE BREED AND USE OF RESULTS FOR ITS PRESERVATION
Contract number:	353 / 01.10.2007
Financing:	State budget – Executive Unit for the Financing of Academic Education and Academic Scientific Research (UEFISCSU)
Project value:	1,000,000 RON
Term of contract:	October 2007 - October 2010
Contracting authority:	Executive Unit for the Financing of Academic Education and Academic Scientific Research (UEFISCSU)
Contractor:	University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Iasi
Project manager:	Prof Şteofil Creangă Ph.D.

Project summary:

The national priorities in the policies of preservation, development and use of genetic diversity of domestic animals are oriented towards the production and durable use of some breeds and hybrids with a high productive potential and in situ and ex situ preservation of the genetically important breeds on the verge of extinction. Since Romania has adhered to the FAO programme for the preservation and management of animal genetic resources, it has adopted the policies of reconsideration and preservation pf the genetic fund of the endangered breeds among which the Romanian Grey Steppe which exists in a unique nucleus in our country at SCDCB Dancu Iasi. To attain the objectives proposed in the project, for the durable preservation of the genofund of the Romanian Grey Steppe breed being in a critical state at national level, it is necessary to have a phenotypic and genetic characterization of this breed so as to establish precisely the breed identity, the degree of genetic resemblance to other breeds more or less related to it. For the phenotypic and genetic characterization of the Romanian grey Steppe breed, we shall effectuate multiple phenotypic and genetic determinations as well as determinations for the characters and features under study (heritability, repeatability, phenotypic, genotypic and environmental correlations; regression coefficient, genetic gain, breeding stock’s improvement value). Data will be processed according to the method of variation statistics calculating the statistic indicator, the significance of differences, the intergroup and intragroup variability. The novelty of the project consists in the use of genetic and molecular markers in the management of genetic resources with direct implications in the genetic characterization of the Romanian Grey Steppe breed and the results obtained will be used for the preservation of the breed.

Objectives:

The objectives of this project are the use of the most recent progress in biology, quantitative genetics and molecular genetics so as to preserve the only indigenous breed of members of the Bovidae family on the verge of extinction. For this purpose, we focus on the phenotypic and genetic characterization of the Romanian Grey Steppe breed in order to establish its genetic uniqueness, the genetic distance at DNA level combined with the information obtained from other sources in terms of genetic and biochemical determinations. The project themes aim at revolutionizing the preservation processes of genetic resources on the verge of extinction this being also one of the European exigencies.

In order to attain our goal, we have established the following objectives:

General objectives:

- Carrying out a complex interdisciplinary research by interconnection of fields

such as genetics, biochemistry, animal science and veterinary medicine (animal health).

- Application of some modern methods of molecular genetics, quantitative genetics and

animal science to improve and reconsider the concept of genetic preservation

by an as exact as possible characterization from the phenotypic and genetic

viewpoint for the endangered breeds.

Measurable objectives:

- phenotypic characterization of the Romanian Grey Steppe breed;

- determination of the intra and intergroup variability degree, level of genetic

determinism of specific quantitative characters by estimation of heritability,

repeatability and correlation coefficients;

- establishing the analysis protocols for biochemical markers and DNA;

- making of a guide comprising the work methodology specific to each of the new

techniques introduced in the study;

- publication of some original papers in national and international magazines;

- making some graduation papers, dissertations and doctoral theses;

- formation of highly qualified personnel in the field by exchanges with labs from

abroad, especially with lab Van Haesingen Joint–Venture bv. Wageningen,

with which we already have concluded a protocol for this purpose, this

lab really participating in the determinations proposed through the project;

- integration of the research team in international networks by participation

to Framework Programme 7.

Objectives specific to the project highlighting the involved partners:

1. Determinations regarding the body development, exterior aspect, productive

and reproductive features, determination of body indices;

2. Study of intra and intergroup variance with the determination of difference significance;

3. Determinations of the genetic parameters, namely the heritability, repeatability

coefficients and genotypic, phenotypic and environmental correlations;

4. Study of blood groups for the individualization of animals;

5. Making karyotypes for the individuals under study;

6. Experimental model for molecular marker use (DNA and biochemical) in correlation

with morphoproductive features;

7. Characterization of the genes of bovine lactoproteins (ß-casein; k-casein and

ß-lactoglobulin), loci with an accentuated polymorphism and for rarer ancestral

breeds we may identify new alleles with diverse and significant influences

on some characters of the respective breed;

8. Genetic characterization by use of SNP (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism) for the

study of variability in order to establish the degree of kinship, homozygosis

and heterozygosis for the determination of genetic distances from other breeds,

information necessary for the genetic characterization of the breed as well

as for the preservation of the Romanian Grey Steppe breed;

9. Integration of the information obtained through the effectuated determinations

and the analysed genetic markets in the preservation programmes of the Romanian

Grey Steppe breed.

Attaining our objectives will allow a relaunching in the field of preservation of endangered animals by their more precise characterization from the phenotypic and genotypic viewpoints and the connection of these issues of scientific research to the system of international values.

Research team

Name	Position within the project	Activities carried out at present
Prof. Creangă Şteofil, Ph.D.	Project manager	- management of human resources, organization of work and assignment of tasks to all members involved in the project; - realistic planning of research works, sustaining and putting them into practice; - elaboration and checkup of the activity reports; - ensurance of a good communication among the team members; - organization of participation to scientific manifestations, workshops related to the project theme.
A/P Maciuc Vasile, PhD	Researcher with a vast expertise	- coordination of the promotion activities of project objectives; - making and developing the databases within the project; - elaboration of the statistic analysis programmes and estimating SAVC genetic parameters (statistics and analysis of variance and covariance) and SPG-VA (statistics of genetic parameters and improvement value); - participation to all the schedules scientific manifestations.
C.P. I Sofronie Mariana, PhD	Researcher with a vast expertise	- participation to the activities of data harvesting and registration; - determining the biological, morphoproductive and reproductive parameters of the breed; - participation to all the schedules scientific manifestations.
C.P. I Ruginosu Elena, PhD	Researcher with a vast expertise	- participation to the activities of data harvesting and registration; - determining the biological, morphoproductive and reproductive parameters of the breed; - participation to all the schedules scientific manifestations.
Eng. Balteanu Valentin, PhD	Researcher with a vast expertise	- application of the molecular technique at the level of genic expression (PCR, RFLP, AFLP, SSCP, RAPD, DNA-FISH, DNA cloning in BAC); - determination and analysis of genetic and molecular markers; - participation to all the schedules scientific manifestations.
Eng. Popescu Eugen	Trainee researcher	- activity specific to the doctorate thesis preparation; - involvement in all scientific research stages of the project;
Eng. Dascalu Lucian	Trainee researcher	- participation to the different stages of scientific research within the project; - perspective of sustaining the doctorate thesis on a theme specific to the research project; - documentation and training stage at the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Copenhagen, Denmark; (October 1, 2009 – June 30, 2010).

The present project gave the possibility to a member of the project implementation team to built his doctoral thesis on a theme close to that of the project entitled “Preservation, consolidation and use of genetic fund of the Romanian Grey Steppe population from Moldavia”, in the specialization Technology of bovine and horse exploitation, under the scientific coordination of Prof. Ujica Vasile, PhD.

Two young researchers make part of the research team: eng. Popescu Eugen, also a candidate for a doctor’s degree and eng. Dascalu Lucian. Beside the other members of the team, they participated in the bibliographic documentation and the collecting and processing of the data regarding the specific determinations from these analysis stages of the Romanian Grey Steppe breed:

- analysis of the individuals from Romanian Grey Steppe breed in the growing area (measurements, sample harvesting);

- making the databases;

- analysis of the morphological and productive characters (data registration, statistic estimations);

- analysis of the reproductive features;

- estimation of the significance tests;

- harvesting the milk samples;

- estimation of heritability, repeatability and phenotypic, genotypic and environmental correlations (elaboration of databases, estimations of parameters);

- quantitative and qualitative determinations for milk;

- blood sample harvesting.

Eng. Popescu Eugen has included the research results in his first paper from the doctorate preparation plan. The young researchers also used the logistics afferent to the project (travels on the site, data related to the breed, tests, genetic analyses effectuated on the breed, financial support, specializations etc)