Livestock biotechnology has come a long way

By Sosimo Ma. Pablico

Biotechnology research at the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) has come a long way but it is now developing cloning by nuclear transfer techniques for the production and multiplication of super buffaloes with extremely high milk and meat production performance.

Actually, it all started in 1990 when PCC executive director Dr. Libertado C. Cruz conceptualized the development of reproductive biotechnology techniques as tool for genetic improvement.  That was before the birth of PCC, but a project on carabao development assisted by the Food and Agriculture Organization was already in progress.

Initial efforts focused on multiple ovulation and embryo transfer and success was achieved when the first riverine calf was born in 1991 by a native carabao after receiving an embryo from a Murrah buffalo. The technology was proven effective but its field application is limited.

With the creation of PCC in 1992, an embryo biotechnology laboratory was organized to develop techniques of in vitro embryo production and cryopreservation, which were envisioned to facilitate the propagation of high genetic animals without the need for live animal importation.  

While the laboratory facility was being organized, PCC also started to develop its human resources by sending some members of its biotechnology research team for degree and non-degree trainings.  Incidentally, one of them – Danilda Hufana-Duran – is a native of San Fabian, and now about to finish the Doctor of Philosophy degree through a scholarship from the Japan Society for the Advancement of Science.  

Two calves, named Malakas and Maganda, were born in 1996 through in vitro embryo production technique.   Ovarian eggs derived from a slaughter house were made to mature and fertilized in vitro and then transferred to a surrogate Philippine carabao.  

However, the calves were born from embryos developed inside an incubator and transferred directly to a recipient animal. The embryos did not pass the cryopreservation procedure and, hence, could neither be transported far nor kept for a day because they would die.  PCC needed to develop a cryopreservation technique using vitrification to keep the embryos alive and allow their transport and storage for a long period. The vitrification method is considered a very practical method of cryopreservation, as it eliminates the need for sophisticated equipment and saves time and effort.

At the same time, efforts were exerted to refine in vitro embryo production (IVEP) systems and improve the embryo development rate in vitro.  Successful results were obtained, marking the initiation of a project on the production of high genetic water buffaloes through the use of recent reproductive biotechniques, which was proposed by Dr. Cruz. 

A PCC Satellite Embryo Biotechnology Laboratory in India with the Frigorifico Allana Limited, a giant company engaged in the export of water buffalo meat to 22 countries around the world and which has a state-of-the-art slaughter house facility in Aurangabad, India, as the host.  It was not until January 2001, however, that the laboratory was established due to some problems.

Towards the second week of February 2001, efforts on in vitro embryo production and cryopreservation were already initiated.  On March 30, 2001, the first batch of purebred high genetic riverine water buffalo embryos was transported to the Philippines for embryo transfer.  

Oocytes or eggs that have not yet reached full development were obtained from the ovaries of retired dairy buffaloes in India that were slaughtered for meat purposes.  The oocytes were made to mature in vitro and then fertilized in vitro with the use of frozen semen from the top three progeny-tested bulls of the National Dairy Development Board in Gujarat. 

The embryos produced through this technique were cryopreserved by vitrification, transported to the Philippines, and then transferred to animals at the PCC National Gene Pool.  The first batch of embryos resulted in the birth of  “Glory” on April 5, 2002, the first water buffalo in the world born out of in vitro-derived and vitrified water buffalo embryo.   An additional five healthy and normal calves were born, marking an initial calving rate of 11 percent for the PCC IVEP-Vitrification-Embryo Transfer Technology. 

Three more calves from in vitro-derived and vitrified water buffalo embryos were born in December 2002 by carabaos of farmer cooperators, marking the successful application of the technology on swamp buffaloes as recipients of riverine embryos.

The   Satellite Embryo Biotechnology Laboratory operated three times, and each batch lasted for three months.  The embryos produced in the satellite laboratory were used for operational research purposes, including efforts to enhance the possibilities of twinning in water buffaloes.  Thus, two or three embryos were transferred to each recipient animal to enhance twinning.

Twin calves were born on January 16, 2004, and a 16.67 percent twinning rate was attained.  This marked the possibility of enhancing the production of twins in water buffaloes using these biotechniques.

With these breakthroughs, the PCC is now exploring the possibilities of developing cloning by nuclear transfer techniques for the production and multiplication of super buffaloes with extremely high milk and meat production performance.

At the same time, the Center has initiated the development of ovum-pick, which is meant to use high genetic live females as sources of oocytes in order to optimize the female contribution on genetic progress.  This technique allows the multiplication of a high genetic female animal by collecting its eggs through ultrasound-guided follicular oocyte aspiration at least twice a week without depleting its production performance.

(Readers may reach columnist at spablico@yahoo.com. For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/harvest-time/ For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments