Cytogenetic investigations in the breed “Bufala Mediterranea Italiana”

Domestic animals, primarily cattle and pig, have been studied to find correlations between chromosomal abnormalities and clinical effects such as abnormal body conformation (aneuploidy), reduced fertility (balanced chromosome aberrations) or sterility (mainly related to sex chromosome abnormalities). In river buffalo few studies have been undertaken so far. Examples are in India and, in the recent past, in Italy, where a good collaboration among cytogeneticists, veterinary practioners, breeders and the Buffalo Breeder Association, allow to study both bulls addressed to reproduction and many females with reproductive problems (lack of oestrus or births in the reproductive age). In the present study we report an update of our results performed in the breed “Bufala Mediterranea Italiana”. Thirteen bulls addressed to reproduction (and progeny test) from two Italian reproduction centres and 115 females with reproductive problems were studied. All bulls showed normal karyotype also when using high resolution banding technique. Upon 115 females studied by both C- and R-banding techniques, 22 (19,1%) showed the following sex chromosome abnormalities: X-monosomy (2 animals), X-trisomy (1 animal), sex reversal syndrome (2 animals), free-martin (17 animals, including 2 male co-twins). All free-martin cases where from single births, exception of two ones where both male and female co-twins were born. All females carrying chromosomal abnormalities resulted sterile for serious damages to internal sex adducts, as revealed by both rectal palpation and visual scoring at the abattoir. This study demonstrates the importance of the cytogenetic controls and the necessity to introduce this biotechnology in the breeding programmes to genetically improve our buffalo population, thus increasing the adding value to the breed “Bufala Mediterranea Italiana”.