La thèse avait pour objectif de caractériser l’adaptabilité de la glande mammaire, organe support de la fonction de lactation, afin de contribuer à l’étude de la robustesse des vaches laitières et à l’identification de vaches adaptables. L’approche utilisée pour caractériser l’adaptabilité de la glande mammaire consistait à décrire les réponses inter-individuelles de production laitière lors d’une perturbation, puis à identifier des critères phénotypiques et/ou génétiques modulant les caractéristiques adaptatives. Deux modalités d’allongement de l’intervalle entre traites ont été choisies pour perturber le fonctionnement de la glande mammaire : un intervalle de traite unique de 24h (24h-MI) et 3 semaines de monotraite (ODM). Les 2 composantes de l’adaptabilité, à savoir la résistance et la résilience, ont été respectivement estimées par les pertes de lait lors de l’allongement de l’intervalle entre traites et par le taux de récupération au retour à 2 traites par jour,Quatre profils de réponse, définis par leur association des modalités de résistance et de résilience, ont été mis en évidence, dont 3 étaient communs aux 2 perturbations (24h-MI et ODM). Ces profils étaient caractérisés par la compliance de la glande mammaire (c’est-à-dire son aptitude à se distendre) et par son état inflammatoire. Les réponses de production laitière seraient des caractères héritables (h2= 0.32 pour les pertes de lait en kg/j et 0.63 pour la récupération de lait (kg/d), respectivement) ouvrant des perspectives de sélection des vaches sur ces caractères adaptatifs. Les zones du génome influant / This study aimed to enhance knowledge on dairy cows robustness and to enable the identification of adaptable cows through the characterization of the adaptability of the mammary gland, the organ responsible for lactation. The methodology used to characterize the adaptability of the mammary gland consisted in describing inter individual variability in milk yield responses profiles to a perturbation and then identifying phenotypes and/or genotypes that modulated the adaptive characteristics. The mammary gland functioning was challenged by using two different lengthening of milking interval as a perturbation on dairy cows usually milked twice-daily (TDM): a single extended milking interval of 24h (24h-MI) and a 3-wk once-daily milking (ODM). For each of them, the two components of adaptability, resistance and resilience, were estimated by milk yield loss in % when switching cows to 24h-MI or ODM and milk recovery:loss ratio when switching cows back to TDM.Four individual responses profiles, defined by the association of specific resistance and resilience modalities, were found with 3 being common between 24h-MI and ODM. These profiles were characterized by udder compliance (= ability to distend) and mammary inflammation. Milk yield responses were also found to be heritable (h2= 0.32 for milk yield losses and 0.63 for milk yield recovery (kg/d), respectively), so that it could be possible to select animals on these adaptability traits. The genomic regions related to these responses were partly different from regions controlling milk production traits during TDM, so that adapt

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Early lactation in dairy cows involves metabolic changes, being mobilization of corporal reserves very common. So the objective of this work is to study indexes of negative energetic balance in dairy cows on early lactation, in two different energy levels. For this, 20 cows were distributed in a randomized complete block design, resulting in 2 treatments: T1 one milking per day for 8 weeks on the beginning of lactation and T2 two milkings for the same period of time. In animals, it was measured live weight, body condition scoring, skinfold thickness, being also collected blood samples for non-esterified fatty acids, urea, glucose, acetoacetate and Dβ-Hydroxybutirate analyses. It was also realized urea dilution measurements. As a result dry matter intake wasn´t different between treatments, milk production and milk solids in kg were lower for T1. For differences analyses T1 resulted in a better energy balance for the treatment period (P = 0.0002), obtaining the opposite result for residual period (P = 0.0423). Talking about corporal characteristics, corporal protein was statistically different between the treatments only for residual period, being higher for T1 (P = 0.0463), meanwhile in blood measures, non-esterified fatty acids (P = 0.0352) and Dβ-Hydroxybutirate (P = 0.0004), were lower for T1, for treatment period. Dβ-Hydroxybutirate didn´t show relation with energy balance, so more studies must be done. / Período inicial da lactação em vacas leiteiras envolve várias modulações a nível metabólico, sendo mobilização de reservas corporais característico neste momento. Portanto, o objetivo com este trabalho é estudar indicadores de balanço energético negativo em vacas leiteiras em período inicial de lactação, mantidas sob dois níveis de balanço energético. Para isso, 20 vacas foram arranjadas em um delineamento blocos ao acaso, sendo aplicados dois tratamentos: T1 uma ordenha diária durante oito semanas iniciais de lactação; T2 duas ordenhas diárias durante oito semanas iniciais de lactação. Nos animais foi determinado peso vivo, escore de condição corporal, espessura de gordura subcutânea; sendo ainda coletadas amostras de sangue, para análise de ácidos graxos não esterificados, ureia, glicose, acetoacetato e Dβ-Hidroxibutirato. Técnica de diluição de ureia também foi realizada. Consumo de matéria seca não diferiu entre os grupos. Produção de leite e kilogramas de sólidos foram menores para T1. Pelas análises das diferenças T1 apresentou melhor balanço energético em período de tratamento (P = 0,0002), invertendo a relação para o período residual (P = 0,0423). Para as características corporais, proteína corporal diferiu no período residual sendo maior para T1 (P = 0,0463), já das mensurações sanguíneas, ácidos graxos não esterificados (P = 0,0352) e Dβ-Hidroxibutirato (P = 0,0004) foram menores no período de tratamento em T1. Dβ-Hidroxibutirato não apresentou relação com balanço energético, assim mais estudos deverão ser realizados.