ARS | Publication request: DEVELOPMENT OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS FOR MARKER-ASSISTED SELECTION OF CATTLE

Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: November 1, 2005
Publication Date: November 13, 2005
Citation: Nonneman, D.J., Casas, E. 2005. Development of information systems for marker-assisted selection of cattle. Morelos, Mexico. 11/13-19/2005. IN: Proceedings, XLI National Livestock Research Meeting.

Interpretive Summary: The use of molecular markers offers a great potential to improve efficiency of animal breeding. Development of cost effective techniques and their integration into production systems is the challenge. Techniques to isolate and evaluate DNA have revolutionized our understanding of, and ability to regulate, the biological processes that are involved in the development of economically important traits. Development of new technology to increase the efficiency of livestock production and benefit consumers is the challenge. With this objective, a program has been developed at MARC to identify the chromosomal regions where genes influencing growth, carcass composition, and meat quality traits reside. Characterizing the variation of these regions using outbred populations currently being developed on-center will be done. Novel marker systems for high throughput genotyping need to be developed to allow this characterization. The purpose is to use genomic information in either, functional genomics studies or in marker-assisted selection to improve the efficiency in animal breeding schemes.

Technical Abstract: The objective of this review is to describe the quantitative trait loci (QTL) identified in beef cattle at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (MARC). Scans in four half-sib families using molecular markers obtained from the bovine linkage map, were done. Regions on chromosomes 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 13, 15, 16, 27, and 29, were detected to harbor genes associated with these traits. New markers, known as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP), able to be used in high-throughput genotyping systems are being developed to characterize the QTL variation in outbred populations. These molecular markers will provide the means to characterize variation of previously identified QTL. The purpose is to use genomic information to either, identify the alleles of a gene that is producing differences in expression of a trait (Functional genomics), or to use this information in selection schemes supported by marker information (marker-assisted selection).