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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #312051
Title: A genetic investigation of isle of Jersey cattle, the foundation of the Jersey breed

Author
item HUSON, HEATHER - Cornell University
item Sonstegard, Tad
item GODFREY, JAMES - Royal Horticultural Society
item HAMBROOK, DAVID - Royal Horticultural Society
item WOLFE, CARI - American Jersey Cattle Association
item Wiggans, George
item Blackburn, Harvey
item Van Tassell, Curtis - Curt

Submitted to: Plant and Animal Genome Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/1/2015
Publication Date: 1/1/2015
Citation: Huson, H., Sonstegard, T.S., Godfrey, J., Hambrook, D., Wolfe, C.W., Wiggans, G.R., Blackburn, H.D., Van Tassell, C.P. 2015. A genetic investigation of isle of Jersey cattle, the foundation of the Jersey breed. Plant and Animal Genome Conference. San Diego, CA, January 10–14, P0279(W143).

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Jersey, one of the oldest dairy breeds, was founded nearly 200 years ago on the Channel Island of Jersey. As early as 1763, legislation banned cattle importation to the island, leading to the development of the Jersey breed. Records indicate considerable cattle exportation from Jersey Island from the early 1800’s through the mid-20th century with technological advances such as artificial insemination, bringing about exportation in the form of germplasm. This dynamic led to Jersey populations undergoing selection and genetic drift in the environments they had been introduced, such as the U.S., while the genetics of the foundation population was preserved on the island itself. Principle component analysis of island to non-island Jerseys using 777K SNP data, demonstrates breed homogeneity when compared with other breeds but eventual segregation of the island population when comparing Jerseys. Marker-based FST calculations identified SNPs illustrating population variation among Jerseys. Overall, no significant difference in inbreeding measures was found when comparing island Jerseys with other national populations. However, different mechanisms may be driving the similarity in inbreeding coefficients between the island and U.S. Jersey populations, such as differences in population size and selection pressures. Runs of homozygosity (ROH) highlighted genome conservation among all Jersey populations with sex determination, protein methylation, and metabolic pathways targeted in a PANTHER analysis. In contrast, unique ROH were identified in the island Jerseys over multiple immune function pathways. This investigation of the genetic foundation of Jersey cattle identified both similarities among diverse populations and distinct regions of conservation in island Jerseys.