Candidate gene region for control of rib eye area in Canchim beef cattle

Investigation of molecular marker effects on production traits is essential to define marker assisted selection strategies in beef cattle. We looked for a possible association of molecular markers and backfat thickness (BFT) and rib eye area (REA) in Canchim (5/8 Charolais + 3/8 Zebu) and MA (offspring of Charolais bulls and 1/2 Canchim + 1/2 Zebu cows) animals raised exclusively on pasture. Traits were measured on 987 individuals from seven herds from two Brazilian States (S?o Paulo and Goiás), in March and April from 2005 to 2007, when animals were, on average, 19 months of age. Five microsatellite markers lying in QTL regions for BFT and REA (BMS490 and ETH10 on chromosome 5, INRA133 and ILSTS090 on chromosome 6, and BMS2142 on chromosome 19) were genotyped and association analyses were performed under an animal model using the restricted maximum likelihood method. After correction for multiple tests, a significant effect of microsatellite BMS490 on REA was observed, suggesting that at least one QTL affecting carcass traits in this region of the BTA5. No significant effect on BFT was observed for these markers.     

Comparative gene frequencies between the Canchim breed of Brazil beef cattle and their foundation breeds.

1. Four hundred and seventy-five animals of the Canchim breed from EMBRAPA-UEPAE de Sao Carlos were analyzed by starch gel electrophoresis. 2. Albumin, amylase, transferrins, carbonic anhydrase, hemoglobin and nucleoside phosphorylase gene frequencies were compared with the same frequencies in the foundation breeds, Charolais and Indubrazil. 3. Theoretical values obtained considering the 5/8 European, 3/8 Zebu admixture are near the means calculated from our results and data from literature.     

Genetic associations between weight at maturity and maturation rate with ages and weights at first and second calving in Canchim beef cattle

Genetic parameters for weight at maturity (WM), maturation rate (MR), age and weight at first calving (AFC and WFC) and second calving (ASC and WSC) were estimated for females of the Canchim breed. The number of records per trait ranged from 1440 to 1923. The restricted maximum likelihood method was used and the statistical model included the fixed effect of contemporary group and the additive genetic and residual as random effects. The mean heritability estimate and respective standard errors were 0.34±0.05 (WM), 0.13±0.04 (MR), 0.14±0.04 (AFC), 0.44±0.06 (WFC), 0.16±0.06 (ASC) and 0.39±0.06 (WSC). The heritability estimate for WM and MR suggested that it would be possible to achieve changes in the animals' growth curve through selection, but the genetic correlation between these two traits suggested that there would be antagonism between them. Selection for WM would result in animals with later growth and would also affect individuals' sexual precocity. This was also seen from the genetic correlations between WM and the other traits, which ranged from 0.37 to 0.98; and between MR and the other traits, which ranged from -0.83 to -0.25. Selection to modify WM would be expected to result in correlated responses in AFC, WFC and WSC and a moderate response in ASC. Although the heritability estimate for MR was low, selection aimed for its increase might cause a large decrease in AFC, ASC and WFC and a moderate change in WSC, and this could be an alternative for improving the progeny's overall performance.     

Genome-wide association study identifies loci and candidate genes for meat quality traits in Simmental beef cattle

Improving meat quality is the best way to enhance profitability and strengthen competitiveness in beef industry. Identification of genetic variants that control beef quality traits can help breeders design optimal breeding programs to achieve this goal. We carried out a genome-wide association study for meat quality traits in 1141 Simmental cattle using the Illumina Bovine HD 770K SNP array to identify the candidate genes and genomic regions associated with meat quality traits for beef cattle, including fat color, meat color, marbling score, longissimus muscle area, and shear force. In our study, we identified twenty significant single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (p < 1.47 × 10^?6) associated with these five meat quality traits. Notably, we observed several SNPs were in or near eleven genes which have been reported previously, including TMEM236, SORL1, TRDN, S100A10, AP2S1, KCTD16, LOC506594, DHX15, LAMA4, PREX1, and BRINP3. We identified a haplotype block on BTA13 containing five significant SNPs associated with fat color trait. We also found one of 19 SNPs was associated with multiple traits (shear force and longissimus muscle area) on BTA7. Our results offer valuable insights to further explore the potential mechanism of meat quality traits in Simmental beef cattle.     

Corticotropin releasing hormone is a promising candidate gene for marbling and subcutaneous fat depth in beef cattle.

The gene corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) is mapped on bovine chromosome 14 (BTA14), where more than 30 fat-related quantitative trait loci (QTLs) have been reported in dairy and beef cattle. The gene product regulates secretion of adrenocorticotrophin hormone, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and multiple hypothalamic functions; therefore, we hypothesized that CRH is a promising candidate gene for beef marbling score (BMS) and subcutaneous fat depth (SFD) in a Wagyu x Limousin F2 population. Two pairs of primers were designed and a total of 5 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified: g.9657C>T, c.10718G>C, c.10841G>A, c.10893A>C, and c.10936G>C (AAFC03076794.1). Among the 4 cSNPs, c.10718G>C, c.10841G>A, and c.10936G>C are missense mutations leading to amino acid changes from arginine to proline, from serine to asparagine, and from aspartic acid to histidine, respectively. These 5 SNPs were genotyped on ~250 F2 progeny, but only 4 were selected as tagging SNPs for association analysis because no historical recombination was observed between c.10718G>C and c.10893A>C. Statistical analysis showed that g.9657C>T, c.10718G>C, and c.10936G>C and their haplotypes had significant effects on SFD, but only c.10936G>C was significantly associated with BMS. The SNP in the promoter (g.9657C>T) led to gain/loss of a CpG site and 4 potential regulatory binding sites. Different haplotypes among the 4 cSNPs significantly affected mRNA secondary structures but were not associated with phenotypes. Overall, our results provide further evidence that CRH is a promising candidate gene for a concordant QTL related to lipid metabolism in mammals.     

A genome‐wide association study suggests several novel candidate genes for carcass traits in Chinese Simmental beef cattle

A genome‐wide association study (GWAS) was conducted for two carcass traits in Chinese Simmental beef cattle. The experimental population consisted of 1301 individuals genotyped with the Illumina BovineHD SNP BeadChip (770K). After quality control, 671 990 SNPs and 1217 individuals were retained for the GWAS. The phenotypic traits included carcass weight and bone weight, which were measured after the cattle were slaughtered at 16 to 18 months of age. Three statistical models—a fixed polygene model, a random polygene model and a composite interval mapping polygene model—were used for the GWAS. The genome‐wide significance threshold after Bonferroni correction was 7.44E‐08 (= 0.05/671 990). In this study, we detected eight and seven SNPs significantly associated with carcass weight and bone weight respectively. In total, 11 candidate genes were identified within or close to these significant SNPs. Of these, we found several novel candidate genes, including PBX1, GCNT4, ALDH1A2, LCORL and WDFY3, to be associated with carcass weight and bone weight in Chinese Simmental beef cattle, and their functional roles need to be verified in further studies.     

Whole-genome analysis for backfat thickness in a tropically adapted, composite cattle breed from Brazil

Backfat thickness affects the preservation of the beef carcass after slaughter and confers organoleptic characteristics assessed by the consumer. One of the breeding goals for Canchim, a tropically adapted breed, is to comprehensively increase fat thickness. Our goals were to identify genomic regions associated with backfat in Canchim populations and validate the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) overlapping previously identified QTL regions known to affect fat deposition. Fifteen animals with lower and 15 animals with higher residues for backfat, according to a linear model using the SAS GLM procedure, were selected from a population of 1171 animals and genotyped using the BovineSNP50 BeadChip. Initial analysis revealed more than 100 SNPs that discriminated the tails of phenotypic distribution. One extended region of association included the centromeric region of chromosome (Chr) 14. Because this region overlapped with QTL from previous reports, we developed SNP assays to interrogate two linkage disequilibrium blocks, one in the centromeric region and another in the middle region of Chr 14 to confirm the association. The analysis validated the presence of specific haplotypes affecting fat thickness.     

Endometrial suppressor cells in beef cattle

Endometrial cells were recovered post mortem from cyclic and pregnant crossbred beef cattle (n = 5 each) on Days 16 to 18 after estrus, and were evaluated for their ability to suppress lymphocyte responses and release suppressor factor into the culture medium. The suppressor factor was assessed for transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) activity. In addition, Percoll was used to fractionate endometrial cells from Angus cows (n = 4) on Days 16 to 18 of pregnancy to determine the density of the suppressor cells. Endometrial cells from cyclic and pregnant cows suppressed lymphocyte proliferative responses and released suppressor factor into the culture medium. The suppressor factor exhibited TGF-beta activity. Suppressor activities tended to be greatest for fractionated cells with densities of 1.01 and 1.095 g/mL. In conclusion, the bovine endometrium contains low- and high-density suppressor cells capable of releasing suppressor factor. The factor seems to be associated with TGF-beta.     

Fixed-time artificial insemination in beef cattle

Background  

The study was designed to test the effect of fixed-time artificial insemination (fixed-AI) after the slightly modified Ovsynch protocol on the pregnancy rate in beef cattle in Finnish field conditions. The modification was aimed to optimize the number of offsprings per AI dose.     

Comparison of information content for microsatellites and SNPs in poultry and cattle

Data were available for 12 poultry microsatellites and 29 poultry single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and for 34 cattle microsatellites and 36 cattle SNPs. Stochastic permutation was used to determine the number of SNPs needed to obtain the same average information content as a given number of microsatellites. For poultry, the information content averaged 0.71 for the 12 microsatellites compared to 0.72 for the 29 SNPs. For cattle, the information content averaged 0.92 for the 34 microsatellites compared with 0.79 for the 36 SNPs. This study shows that, for each microsatellite, three SNPs are needed to obtain the same average information content.     

Genome‐wide association study reveals candidate genes associated with body measurement traits in Chinese Wagyu beef cattle

We performed a genome‐wide association study to identify candidate genes for body measurement traits in 463 Wagyu beef cattle typed with the Illumina Bovine HD 770K SNP array. At the genome‐wide level, we detected 18, five and one SNPs associated with hip height, body height and body length respectively. In total, these SNPs are within or near 11 genes, six of which (PENK, XKR4, IMPAD1, PLAG1, CCND2 and SNTG1) have been reported previously and five of which (CSMD3, LAP3, SYN3, FAM19A5 and TIMP3) are novel candidate genes that we found to be associated with body measurement traits. Further exploration of these candidate genes will facilitate genetic improvement in Chinese Wagyu beef cattle.     

Quantitative trait loci for male reproductive traits in beef cattle

The objective of the present study was to detect quantitative trait loci (QTL) for male reproductive traits in a half-sib family from a Bos indicus (Brahman) x Bos taurus (Hereford) sire. The sire was mated with MARC III (1/4 Hereford, 1/4 Angus, 1/4 Red Poll and 1/4 Pinzgauer) cows. Testicular traits were measured from 126 male offspring born in 1996 and castrated at 8.5 months. Traits analysed were concentration of follicle stimulating hormone in peripheral blood at castration (FSH), paired testicular weight (PTW) and paired testicular volume (PTV) adjusted for age of dam, calculated age at puberty (AGE), and body weight at castration (BYW). A putative QTL was observed for FSH on chromosome 5. The maximum F-statistic was detected at 70 cM from the beginning of the linkage group. Animals inheriting the Hereford allele had a 2.47-ng/ml higher concentration of FSH than those inheriting the Brahman allele. Evidence also suggests the existence of a putative QTL on chromosome 29 for PTW, PTV, AGE and BYW. The maximum F-statistic was detected at cM 44 from the beginning of the linkage group for PTW, PTV and AGE, and at cM 52 for BYW. Animals that inherited the Brahman allele at this chromosomal region had a 45-g heavier PTW, a 42-cm(3) greater PTV, a 39-day younger AGE and a 22.8-kg heavier BYW, compared with those inheriting the Hereford allele. This is the first report of QTL for male reproductive traits in cattle.     

Postpartum fertility in beef cattle producing twins

Postpartum fertility was measured in 42 plur iparous Hereford cows and first calf Hereford heifers that calved after embryo transfer to induce twins. Dams were exposed to a Hereford bull from 4: 00 P.M. to 8:00 A.M. each day from 60 days postpartum until pregnancy was confirmed or calves were weaned at 180 days of age. Days open ($\text{X}\text{± SE}$) for dams that produced single and twin calves were 84.1 ± 4.6 (n = 12) and 94.9 ± 6.2 (n = 30), respectively. Corresponding values for dams that nursed one calf, including six females that lost one calf of a twin set at birth, and dams that nursed twins were 89.3 ± 6.4 (n = 18) and 93.4 ± 8.5 (n = 24). No significant differences were observed due to calving or suckling twin calves. Heifers that calved twins had a shorter mean interval to conception than cows that calved twins. These results are interpreted to mean that with proper management during the prepartum and postpartum periods, reduced fertility in beef cattle that produce twins need not occur.     

Genome-Wide Association for Growth Traits in Canchim Beef Cattle

Studies are being conducted on the applicability of genomic data to improve the accuracy of the selection process in livestock, and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) provide valuable information to enhance the understanding on the genetics of complex traits. The aim of this study was to identify genomic regions and genes that play roles in birth weight (BW), weaning weight adjusted for 210 days of age (WW), and long-yearling weight adjusted for 420 days of age (LYW) in Canchim cattle. GWAS were performed by means of the Generalized Quasi-Likelihood Score (GQLS) method using genotypes from the BovineHD BeadChip and estimated breeding values for BW, WW, and LYW. Data consisted of 285 animals from the Canchim breed and 114 from the MA genetic group (derived from crossings between Charolais sires and ½ Canchim + ½ Zebu dams). After applying a false discovery rate correction at a 10% significance level, a total of 4, 12, and 10 SNPs were significantly associated with BW, WW, and LYW, respectively. These SNPs were surveyed to their corresponding genes or to surrounding genes within a distance of 250 kb. The genes DPP6 (dipeptidyl-peptidase 6) and CLEC3B (C-type lectin domain family 3 member B) were highlighted, considering its functions on the development of the brain and skeletal system, respectively. The GQLS method identified regions on chromosome associated with birth weight, weaning weight, and long-yearling weight in Canchim and MA animals. New candidate regions for body weight traits were detected and some of them have interesting biological functions, of which most have not been previously reported. The observation of QTL reports for body weight traits, covering areas surrounding the genes (SNPs) herein identified provides more evidence for these associations. Future studies targeting these areas could provide further knowledge to uncover the genetic architecture underlying growth traits in Canchim cattle.     

基于DNA池测序法筛选奶牛高信息量SNP标记的可行性

首先选择139个牛SNP标记, 利用DNA池测序法, 根据测序峰图中不同碱基信号峰高的比值确定了92个SNP为高信息量标记(比值>1/2); 为了进一步验证筛选的准确性, 对其中59个标记采用基质辅助激光解析电离飞行时间质谱(Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry, MALDI-TOF MS)技术检测了122头荷斯坦牛的基因型。结果显示, 检出率高于85%的标记有56个, 其平均最小等位基因频率(Minor allele frequency, MAF)为0.41, 最小值为0.27, 最大值为0.5; MAF>0.3的标记有54个, 占96.4%(54/56)。文章结果表明, 采用DNA池测序法筛选高信息量SNP标记是可行和可信的。