bioRxiv Science⌕ Search
Home/Archive/bioRxiv

bioRxiv · 10.1101/2025.02.19.638995

Managing the genetic diversity of animal populations using cryobanks: optimizing the constitution of ex situ collection?

Jacques, A.·Tixier-Boichard, M.·Restoux, G.
View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

To compensate for the erosion of genetic variability taking place in local breeds as well as in large breeds under selection, many countries have set up cryopreserved collections. Currently, there are as many sampling strategies as there are cryobanks. The aim of our study was to examine some parameters for optimizing the constitution of a gene bank. ResultsWe simulated different breeding scenarios of animal populations (i.e. selection or conservation) and examined the impact of using cryopreserved collections according to (i) the size and age of collections or (ii) the sampling strategy to set up these collections. The age of cryopreserved resources was the predominant factor of use in populations under selection, where the use of recently collected sires was favored. For populations under conservation, older reproductive material becomes highly relevant. Using a large number of old individuals enabled better management of matings and helped to slow down the increase in inbreeding on the long term, while the use of a lower number of old individuals enabled some genetic progress to be maintained. Since a gene bank needs to address the needs of all types of populations, continuous enrichment of collections appeared to be a relevant option. In addition, the use of OCS can help to efficiently mobilize ex situ genetic resources in animal breeding programs. ConclusionsCryopreserved genetic resources are an invaluable help in the management of domestic populations. Relevant recommendations for the management of cryopreserved collections can be made according to breeding programs.

Explore related subjects

geneticsPreprint

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Jacques, A., Tixier-Boichard, M., Restoux, G.. 2025-02-24. Managing the genetic diversity of animal populations using cryobanks: optimizing the constitution of ex situ collection?. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.02.19.638995

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related preprints

bioRxiv2026

Generation of a transgenic cephalopod

Coleoid cephalopods (cuttlefish, octopus, and squid) are marine mollusks with elaborate nervous systems that support a diverse repertoire of complex behaviors. These include the neural control of the color, pattern, and texture of the skin, facilitating both adaptive camouflage and innate patterning that may reflect internal state. The development of transgenic cephalopods expressing fluorescent proteins, optogenetic actuators, and reporters of neural activity would contribute a new and important technology to cephalopod biology. The generation of transgenic cephalopods, however, has remained a major challenge. Here, we report the development of stable transgenic dwarf cuttlefish (Ascarosepion bandense) expressing ubiquitous nuclear-localized mScarlet, a red fluorescent protein. We evaluated multiple strategies for transgenesis, and established cuttlefish lines using both CRISPR and the transposons Sleeping Beauty and Minos. The stable expression of transgenes enabled live imaging of cell dynamics during embryonic development. The Minos transposon emerged as the most efficient transgenesis strategy and is adaptable to promoters and transgenes of choice. These strategies now enable the generation of diverse genetic tools for mechanistic studies of cephalopod biology.

genetics↗
bioRxiv2026

Large language model-based bibliometric evaluation of population descriptors in human genetics

As the use of population descriptors such as race, ethnicity, and ancestry have become increasingly common in modern genetics research, there have been growing calls to critically examine their use. Most notably, in 2023, the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) published a report titled Using Population Descriptors in Genetics and Genomics Research: A New Framework for an Evolving Field, which included eight specific and actionable recommendations for researchers to implement the ethical and accurate use of population descriptors in genetic research. Here, we use the 2023 NASEM report as a benchmark to analyze the use of population descriptors in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). We develop a general toolkit for large language model-based bibliometrics, operationalize the report's recommendations into an evaluation framework, and apply this framework to evaluate all 4,007 papers from the GWAS Catalog published between 2007 and 2025 with full text available on PubMedCentral. We find significant improvements in adherence to NASEM report recommendations over time. However, most improvements predate the publication of the NASEM report itself, suggesting the report functioned primarily as a synthesis of existing best practices rather than a catalyst for change. We conclude by highlighting opportunities for growth in the field of human genetics.

genetics↗
bioRxiv2026

Mitigating biases of rescaling in forward-in-time population genetic simulations

Forward-in-time population genetic simulations are widely used in evolutionary analyses, but simulating large populations and long genomic regions remains computationally demanding. To reduce this cost, parameter rescaling is widely employed, in which the original evolutionary process is approximated by one with a smaller population size and fewer generations. Recently, several studies using the SLiM simulator have raised concerns about the accuracy of this rescaling approach. In this study, we show that many of the biases reported in these studies can be mitigated by using a different simulation algorithm. These results reveal that the accuracy of parameter rescaling depends on how well the simulation algorithm preserves diffusion-limit properties under rescaling.

genetics↗