v

Chinese Livestock and Poultry Breeding ›› 2026, Vol. 22 ›› Issue (9): 78-84.doi: 10.19543/j.cnki.1673-4556.20260714.001cstr: 32418.14.j.cnki.1673-4556.20260714.001

• Stem Cell Engineering and Germplasm Resource Innovation • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Conservation of endangered cattle germplasm resources: Technological integration and paradigm shift

Liting Lu1(), Jing Wang2, Yang Yu1, Shigang Gu2, Yi Zhang1, Yurong Zhang2, Dawei Yu2(), Yongye Huang1()   

  1. 1. College of Life Science and Health, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110169, Liaoning
    2. Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193
  • Received:2025-12-05 Online:2026-09-26 Published:2026-09-10
  • Contact: Dawei Yu, Yongye Huang

Abstract:

Large animals worldwide, particularly endangered cattle species, faced multiple threats including habitat loss, population fragmentation, and genetic diversity erosion. These species are not only crucial components for maintaining ecosystem structure and function but also embody profound cultural and historical significance. However, traditional conservation strategies, which primarily relied on habitat protection and captive breeding, proved inadequate in addressing emerging challenges such as genetic degradation in small populations and climate change. These limitations hindered effective prevention of ongoing genetic diversity loss and the decline in long-term population viability. To address these issues, this study undertook a systematic exploration of how technological integration could drive a fundamental transformation in the conservation paradigm. The investigation examined multiple aspects: the decoding of genomic information, the integration of multi-omics data, breakthroughs in reproductive and genetic engineering technologies, and the establishment of intelligent monitoring systems. The ultimate objective was the development of a replicable and scalable systematic conservation framework. This framework aims to achieve a transition from passive "rescue conservation" to proactive "sustainable recovery," with the goal not only of preventing species extinction but also of restoring the health, adaptability, and evolutionary potential of wild populations.

Key words: Cattle, Genome, Somatic cell nuclear transfer, Artificial intelligence, Gene editing

CLC Number: 

  • S823

Fig. 1

Technological integration and paradigm reconstruction for the conservation of endangered cattle germplasm resources Note: The figure was created using Adobe Illustrator."

[1]
RIPPLE W J, WOLF C, NEWSOME T M, et al. Extinction risk is most acute for the world’s largest and smallest vertebrates[J]. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2017, 114(40): 10678-10683.
[2]
张建军, 李俊生, 吴军, 等. 中国生物多样性保护进展与转型策略[J]. 生物多样性, 2023, 31(9): 106-118.
ZHANG J J, LI J S, WU J, et al. Progress and Transformation Strategies in Biodiversity Conservation in China[J]. Biodiversity, 2023, 31(9): 106-118.
[3]
KARDOS M, ARMSTRONG E E, FITZPATRICK S W, et al. The crucial role of genome-wide genetic variation in conservation[J]. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2021, 118(48): e2104642118.
[4]
DÍAZ S, SETTELE J, BRONDÍZIO E S, et al. The IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services: Summary for Policymakers[R]. Bonn: IPBES, 2019.
[5]
SUPPLE M A, SHAPIRO B. Conservation of biodiversity in the genomics era[J]. Genome Biology, 2018, 19(1): 131.
[6]
FENG S H, FANG Q, BARNETT R, et al. The genomic footprints of the fall and recovery of the crested Ibis [J]. Current Biology, 2019, 29(2): 340-349.e7.
[7]
VAN DER VALK T, DÍEZ-DEL-MOLINO D, MARQUES-BONET T, et al. Historical genomes reveal the genomic consequences of recent population decline in eastern gorillas[J]. Current Biology, 2019, 29(1): 165-170.e6.
[8]
SARAGUSTY J, LOI P. Towards the application of assisted reproductive technologies in endangered mammals: Challenges and prospects[J]. Theriogenology Wild, 2022, 1: 100004.
[9]
COMIZZOLI P, HOLT W V. Breakthroughs and new horizons in reproductive biology of rare and endangered animal species[J]. Biology of Reproduction, 2019, 101(3): 514-525.
[10]
TUIA D, KELLENBERGER B, BEERY S, et al. Perspectives in machine learning for wildlife conservation[J]. Nature Communications, 2022, 13: 792.
[11]
IVOŠEVIĆ B, HAN Y G, CHO Y, et al. The use of conservation drones in ecology and wildlife research[J]. Journal of Ecology and Environment, 2015, 38(1): 113-118.[12] KARDOSM, ÅKESSONM, FOUNTAINT, et al. Genomic consequences of intensive inbreeding in an isolated wolf population[J]. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 2018, 2(1): 124-131.
[13]
MACHOVÁ K, ŠTRUNCOVÁ P, CALTA J, et al. Genealogical analysis of European Bison population revealed a growing up population despite very low genetic diversity[J]. PLoS One, 2022, 17(11): e0277456.
[14]
ROBINSON J A, ORTEGA-DEL VECCHYO D, FAN Z X, et al. Genomic flatlining in the endangered island fox[J]. Current Biology, 2016, 26(9): 1183-1189.
[15]
MESBAH-UDDIN M, HOZE C, MICHOT P, et al. A missense mutation (p.Tyr452Cys) in the CAD gene compromises reproductive success in French Normande cattle[J]. Journal of Dairy Science, 2019, 102(7): 6340-6356.
[16]
LI H, DURBIN R. Inference of human population history from individual whole-genome sequences[J]. Nature, 2011, 475(7357): 493-496.
[17]
EXCOFFIER L, DUPANLOUP I, HUERTA-SÁNCHEZ E, et al. Robust demographic inference from genomic and SNP data[J]. PLoS Genetics, 2013, 9(10): e1003905.
[18]
STORZ J F. High-altitude adaptation: mechanistic insights from integrated genomics and physiology[J]. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 2021, 38(7): 2677-2691.
[19]
POTTS R W A, GUTIERREZ A P, PENALOZA C S, et al. Potential of genomic technologies to improve disease resistance in molluscan aquaculture[J]. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London Series B, Biological Sciences, 2021, 376(1825): 20200168.
[20]
马艳林, 倪华, 黄翔辉, 等. 不同季节帕米尔盘羊肠道微生物群落结构解析[J]. 生态学报, 2025, 45(12): 6056-6066.
MA Y L, NI H, HUANG X H, et al. Analysis of the gut microbiota community structure of Ovis ammon polii in different seasons[J]. Acta Ecologica Sinica, 2025, 45(12): 6056-6066.
[21]
YER E N, BALOGLU M C, AYAN S. Identification and expression profiling of all Hsp family member genes under salinity stress in different poplar clones[J]. Gene, 2018, 678: 324-336.
[22]
LANZA R P, CIBELLI J B, DIAZ F, et al. Cloning of an endangered species (Bos gaurus) using interspecies nuclear transfer[J]. Cloning, 2000, 2(2): 79-90.
[23]
FOLCH J, COCERO M J, CHESNÉ P, et al. First birth of an animal from an extinct subspecies (Capra pyrenaica Pyrenaica) by cloning[J]. Theriogenology, 2009, 71(6): 1026-1034.
[24]
GAO C, ZHOU X Y, GU S G, et al. Establishment of interspecies somatic cell nuclear transfer and transgene-free inducible pluripotent stem cells for versatile conservation of the germplasm resource of wild boar[J]. Animal Research and One Health, 2025.
[25]
YU DW, NIMA QZ, CAO L, et al. Hybrid yak-cattle in situ conservation via interspecies somatic cell nuclear transfer at ultra-high-altitude region. bioRxiv. 2025
[26]
齐浩南, 霍浩楠, 曹磊, 等. 体细胞核移植克隆西藏濒危樟木牛[J]. 中国畜牧兽医, 2025, 52(12): 5740-5748.
QI H N, HUO H N, CAO L, et al. Cloning of the endangered Zhangmu cattle via somatic cell nuclear transfer in Xizang[J]. China Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Medicine, 2025, 52(12): 5740-5748.
[27]
MERTON J S, DE ROOS A P W, MULLAART E, et al. Factors affecting oocyte quality and quantity in commercial application of embryo technologies in the cattle breeding industry[J]. Theriogenology, 2003, 59(2): 651-674.
[28]
TAKAHASHI K, YAMANAKA S. Induction of pluripotent stem cells from mouse embryonic and adult fibroblast cultures by defined factors[J]. Cell, 2006, 126(4): 663-676.
[29]
HAYASHI K, OGUSHI S, KURIMOTO K, et al. Offspring from oocytes derived from in vitro primordial germ cell-like cells in mice[J]. Science, 2012, 338(6109): 971-975.
HAYASHI K, OGUSHI S, KURIMOTO K, et al. Offspring from oocytes derived from in vitro primordial germ cell-like cells in mice[J]. Science, 2012, 338(6109): 971-975.
[30]
GYIMESI M, KOVÁCS A, VARGA E, et al. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene correction of a dominant mutation in a bovine model of hereditary tyrosinemia type 1[J]. Scientific Reports, 2022, 12(1): 112.
[31]
GAO Y P, WU H B, WANG Y S, et al. Single Cas9 nickase induced generation of NRAMP1 knockin cattle with reduced off-target effects[J]. Genome Biology, 2017, 18(1): 13.
[32]
ARAVINDH S, SILPA M V, VOGGU S P, et al. Epigenetic mechanisms associated with livestock adaptation to heat stress[J]. Biology, 2025, 14(9): 1154.
[33]
THAKORE P I, D’IPPOLITO A M, SONG L Y, et al. Highly specific epigenome editing by CRISPR-Cas9 repressors for silencing of distal regulatory elements[J]. Nature Methods, 2015, 12(12): 1143-1149.
[34]
REDFORD K H, ADAMS W, MACE G M. Synthetic biology and conservation of nature: wicked problems and wicked solutions[J]. PLoS Biology, 2013, 11(4): e1001530.
[35]
SATHIYA A, ANGEL D, ISWARYA M, et al. IoT enabled healthcare framework using edge AI and advanced wearable sensors for real time health monitoring[C]. //2025 International Conference on Multi-Agent Systems for Collaborative Intelligence (ICMSCI). January 20-22, 2025, Erode, India. IEEE, 2025: 384-392.
[36]
SARAGUSTY J, DIECKE S, DRUKKER M, et al. Rewinding the process of mammalian extinction[J]. Zoo Biology, 2016, 35(4): 280-292.
[37]
EKBLOM R, BRECHLIN B, PERSSON J, et al. Genome sequencing and conservation genomics in the Scandinavian wolverine population[J]. Conservation Biology, 2018, 32(6): 1301-1312.
[38]
LEWIN H A, RICHARDS S, LIEBERMAN AIDEN E, et al. The Earth BioGenome Project 2024: Expanding genomic resources for global biodiversity conservation and sustainable development[J]. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2024, 121(25): e2400953121.
[39]
LACHER T E, BUTCHART S H M, GUMBS R, et al. The status, threats and conservation of Critically Endangered species[J]. Nature Reviews Biodiversity, 2025, 1(7): 421-438.
[40]
SPEAKER T, O'DONNELL S, WITTEMYER G, et al. A global community-sourced assessment of the state of conservation technology[J]. Conservation Biology, 2022, 36(3): e13871.
[41]
BERGER-TAL O, BLUMSTEIN D T, SWAISGOOD R R. Conservation translocations: a review of common difficulties and promising directions[J]. Animal Conservation, 2020, 23(2): 121-131.
[42]
YAO Q G, CHENG S, PAN Q L, et al. Organoids: development and applications in disease models, drug discovery, precision medicine, and regenerative medicine[J]. MedComm, 2024, 5(10): e735.
[43]
AKPOVIRI F I, BAHARUM S N, ZAINOL Z A. Digital sequence information and the access and benefit-sharing obligation of the convention on biological diversity[J]. NanoEthics, 2023, 17(1): 1.
[44]
CAMPS-VALLS G, FERNÁNDEZ-TORRES M Á, COHRS K H, et al. Artificial intelligence for modeling and understanding extreme weather and climate events[J]. Nature Communications, 2025, 16: 1919.
[45]
KOHL P A, BROSSARD D, SCHEUFELE D A, et al. Public views about editing genes in wildlife for conservation[J]. Conservation Biology, 2019, 33(6): 1286-1295.
[1] Youchen Liang, Jianxiao Zhao, Qimeng Zhang, Zhi Cao, Qian Xue, Guohui Li, Hongyan Sun, Yinjie Niu, Qisheng Zuo, Wei Han, Bichun Li, Kai Jin. Research and application progress of poultry embryonic stem cells [J]. Chinese Livestock and Poultry Breeding, 2026, 22(9): 26-36.
[2] Bo Liu, Saizheng Han, Fangfang Sha, Wenwen Shen, Zihuai Tang, Weiwei Wu, Wenxin Zheng, Shiwei Zhou, Yinghui Wei, Xiaolong Wang. Challenges and prospects of generating cloned animals with livestock embryonic stem cells (ESCs) [J]. Chinese Livestock and Poultry Breeding, 2026, 22(9): 55-65.
[3] Linsen Zan. International advances in beef cattle breeding as a reference for the genetic improvement of indigenous yellow cattle [J]. Chinese Livestock and Poultry Breeding, 2026, 22(8): 10-18.
[4] Xiaoyao Cao, Jiao Li, Ting Wang, Lanling Xiong, Xiangting Cai, Siyuan Feng, Zezhao Wang, Caihong Zheng, Yan Chen, Lupei Zhang, Xue Gao, Huijiang Gao, Bo Zhu, Junya Li. Progress and prospects for genetic improvement of beef cattle in China: The pathway to revitalizing the seed industry from "catching up" to "innovation" [J]. Chinese Livestock and Poultry Breeding, 2026, 22(8): 19-31.
[5] Di Bao, Ming Sun, Lihong Qin. Research on the progress of genetic improvement of beef cattle in Jilin Province [J]. Chinese Livestock and Poultry Breeding, 2026, 22(8): 42-47.
[6] Honghao Wang, Yanjie Liu, Yuanqing Zhang. Shanxi beef cattle breeding: Focus on the genetic improvement practices of "Taihang Cloud Cattle" [J]. Chinese Livestock and Poultry Breeding, 2026, 22(8): 48-53.
[7] Peng Peng, Tingyu Liu, Huifeng Zhao, Bowei Zhao, Suxia Li, Hua Xu, Shujing Li, Kun Wang. Current situation, existing problems and development suggestions for beef cattle genetic improvement in Hebei Province [J]. Chinese Livestock and Poultry Breeding, 2026, 22(8): 54-60.
[8] Dou Feng, Hongyu Deng, Lining Wang, Jialun Yao, Lei He, Qinghua Quan, Qianqian He, Zhen Zhang. Research on current status and strategies of beef cattle development in Henan Province [J]. Chinese Livestock and Poultry Breeding, 2026, 22(8): 61-67.
[9] Suolang Quji, Pubu Zhandui, Bin Li, Silang Wangmu, Dongxu Wen, Li Zhao, Gama Yangzong, Ciren Luobu, Xiaoying Chen, Ma Ni, Xire Qiangma, Dawa, Zhaxi Jiancan, Laba Ciren, Nan Zhang, Yi Ma, Ningbo Chen. Study on the current situation of genetic resources and identification of germplasm characteristics of Tibetan gray cattle [J]. Chinese Livestock and Poultry Breeding, 2026, 22(8): 68-78.
[10] Wucai Yang, Benshun Yang, Wenjie Liu, Zhenghai Zhou, Jianbing Tan, Xianya Kong, Linsen Zan. Current status and development recommendations of conservation, breeding, and industrial utilization of Chinese yellow cattle [J]. Chinese Livestock and Poultry Breeding, 2026, 22(8): 79-89.
[11] Keju Zhang, Xiangnan Wang, Gaixin Dong, Zhiyuan Lv, Zijing Zhang, Xian Liu, Shijie Lv, Fengpeng Lin, Xingshan Qi, Bowen Qu, Eryao Wang, Xinglei Qi. Semen production performance of breeding bulls and reproductive performance of cows in "Zhongyuan Cattle" [J]. Chinese Livestock and Poultry Breeding, 2026, 22(8): 90-95.
[12] Jing Li, Shuhuan Yang, Jia You, Shuangyong Jin. Research on breeding advancements in Liaoyu White cattle [J]. Chinese Livestock and Poultry Breeding, 2026, 22(8): 96-102.
[13] Wanli Cheng, Mingyu Yang, Lei Xi, Zhuanjian Li, Yujie Guo. Research progress and prospects of intelligent measurement technologies for important phenotypes in livestock and poultry [J]. Chinese Livestock and Poultry Breeding, 2026, 22(7): 7-16.
[14] Zhuangbing Li, Lei Yang, Weiwei Lei, Xianguang Ren, Zhonggong Wang, Yongjun Cai, Wei Chen, Xifeng Zhang. Effects of body brushing on intestinal microbiota structure, serum metabolism and antioxidant capacity in Bohai Black cattle [J]. Chinese Livestock and Poultry Breeding, 2026, 22(6): 60-71.
[15] Xiaoyun Chen, Donghui Fang, Jun Yi, Maozhong Fu, Jia Gan, Aguo Yueda, Yi Shi, Xiaodong Deng, Xiaoqin Ma, Ying Chen, Ruijuan Cao, Wei Wang. Current situation and high-quality development suggestions of the cattle industry in Sichuan province [J]. Chinese Livestock and Poultry Breeding, 2026, 22(6): 53-59.
Viewed
Full text


Abstract

Cited

  Shared   
  Discussed   
No Suggested Reading articles found!