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Genome wide association studies for milk fatty acids as a basis for methane prediction

Friday, August 22, 2014: 1:45 PM
Bayshore Grand Ballroom E-F (The Westin Bayshore)
Sabine van Engelen , TI Food and Nutrition, Wageningen, Netherlands
Henk Bovenhuis , Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands
Jan Dijkstra , Animal Nutrition Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands
Johan A.M. van Arendonk , Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands
Marleen H.P.W. Visker , TI Food and Nutrition, Wageningen, Netherlands
Abstract Text: The emission of enteric methane by dairy cows has significant influence on global warming and breeding could be useful to give a long term effect to methane mitigation. The aim of this study was to estimate genetic parameters and identifying regions of the bovine genome significantly associated with milk fatty acids and predicted methane production (pMethane). Milk fat composition of 1905 cows that were genotyped for 50,000 SNP were used to calculate pMethane. pMethane was based on C17:0anteiso, C18:1trans10+11, C18:1cis11, and C18:1cis13. The mean and heritability of pMethane were 23.62 g/kg DMI and 0.12. In a Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS) no regions significantly associated with pMethane were found. The GWAS of C17:0anteiso showed a significant association at BTA 14, a region in which the DGAT1 gene is located. In addition to DGAT1, other genes on BTA 14 could play a role.  

Keywords:

dairy cattle

methane

milk fatty acids

See more of: Improving Nutrient Utilization and Reducing the Environmental Impact of Dairy Operations through Genetic or Genomic Selection
See more of: Species Breeding: Dairy cattle
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