Genetic × environment variation in sheep lines bred for divergent resistance to strongyle infection.

ABSTRACT: Drug-resistant parasites threaten livestock production. Breeding more resistant hosts could be a sustainable control strategy. Environmental variation linked to animal management practices or to parasite species turnover across farms may however alter the expression of genetic potential. We created sheep lines with high or low resistance to Haemonchus contortus and achieved significant divergence on both phenotypic and genetic scales. We exposed both lines to chronic stress or to the infection by another parasite Trichostrongylus colubriformis, to test for genotype-by-environment and genotype-by-parasite species interactions respectively. Between-line divergence remained significant following chronic stress exposure although between-family variation was found. Significant gen

SUBMITTER: Salle G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8591325 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature