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Effect of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms of Toll-Like Receptor 4 (TLR 4) on Reproductive Performance and Immune Function in Dairy Cows

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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.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP26450372.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Animal and Food Hygiene, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, 0808555, Japan

    Takashi Shimizu, Yurie Kawasaki, Yuka Aoki, Fumie Magata & Akio Miyamoto

  2. Field Center of Animal Science and Agriculture, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, 0808555, Japan

    Chiho Kawashima

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  1. Takashi Shimizu
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  2. Yurie Kawasaki
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  3. Yuka Aoki
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  4. Fumie Magata
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  5. Chiho Kawashima
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  6. Akio Miyamoto
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Correspondence to Takashi Shimizu.

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Shimizu, T., Kawasaki, Y., Aoki, Y. et al. Effect of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms of Toll-Like Receptor 4 (TLR 4) on Reproductive Performance and Immune Function in Dairy Cows. Biochem Genet 55, 212–222 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10528-017-9790-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10528-017-9790-0

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