Climate Shifts Pose a Threat to Rabbit Farming: Scientists Investigate Tolerance Genes
Global climate change is bringing major challenges to livestock production, and recent studies reveal that sudden temperature fluctuations—both rises and drops—are a serious concern for rabbit farming.
Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) are considered a smart homeothermic animal model, capable of regulating body temperature through various physiological processes. However, there has been very limited scientific information about the effects of lifetime climate up- and down-shifts on rabbits.
Focus on TCT Proteins
A recent investigation set out to identify TCT proteins, model their structures, and predict their functional partners. Using homology modeling, researchers built and refined the tertiary structures of these proteins. The study also revealed the most conserved motifs and domains within the TCT proteins, which can serve as important markers for the functional identification and characterization of these genes.
Genes Linked to Climate Tolerance
The analysis further highlighted genes potentially associated with thermo-cold tolerance within the same metabolic map. These include IL17RC, IL25, IL26, TMEM26, IL17RE, CIDEA, IL6, and PPARGC1A. Future studies will focus on these genes to better understand their roles in resilience to climate change.
Outlook for the Future
Researchers emphasize that these findings are critical for sustainable rabbit farming. Understanding and characterizing the functions of these genes could pave the way for biotechnological solutions to safeguard animal health and productivity against the negative impacts of climate change.
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Fathy, R., Abdel-Monem, U.M., Agrawal, P.K. et al. Structural insights of TCT proteins in New Zealand rabbits for climate adaptation.
Discov Anim 2, 31 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44338-025-00068-9
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Tags: animal adaptation studiesclimate adaptation mechanismsclimate resilience in animalsenvironmental stress responsesevolutionary biology of rabbitsgenetic research on rabbitsimplications for animal breedingNew Zealand rabbitsNew Zealand wildlife researchprotein structure-function relationshipsstructural biology of proteinsTCT proteins
