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A 660-Kb Deletion with Antagonistic Effects on Fertility and Milk Production Segregates at High Frequency in Nordic Red Cattle: Additional Evidence for the Common Occurrence of Balancing Selection in Livestock

Tuesday, August 19, 2014: 4:00 PM
Bayshore Grand Ballroom D (The Westin Bayshore)
Naveen Kumar Kadri , University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
Goutam Sahana , Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
Carole Charlier , University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
Iso-Touru Terhi , MTT Agrifood Research Finland, Biotechnology and Food Research, Jokioinen, Finland
Bernt Guldbrandtsen , Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
Latifa Karim , University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
Ulrik S. Nielsen , Knowledge Center for Agriculture, Aarhus, Denmark
Frank Panitz , Dept. Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
Gert P. Aamand , Nordic Cattle Genetic Evaluation, Aarhus, Denmark
Nina Schulman , MTT Agrifood Research Finland, Biotechnology and Food Research, Jokioinen, Finland
Michel Georges , University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
Johanna Vilkki , MTT Agrifood Research Finland, Biotechnology and Food Research, Jokioinen, Finland
Mogens Sandø Lund , Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
Tom Druet , University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
Recorded Presentation (flv)
Abstract Text:

The spectacular increase in productivity of dairy cattle has been accompanied by a decline in fertility. It is assumed that this reduction is due to the negative energy balance of high producing cows. We herein describe the dissection of a fertility QTL in Nordic Red cattle to a 660-Kb deletion on BTA12. The deletion encompasses four genes and affects fertility by causing death in homozygous embryos. Despite its deleterious effect 32% of the Finnish Ayrshire animals carry the deletion. We show that the deletion has a positive effect on milk yield and that the balancing selection maintains it at a higher frequency. Our study demonstrates the Embryonic lethal mutations are partly responsible for decline in fertility and that associated positive effects on milk yield may partly account for the negative genetic correlation. 

Keywords:

balancing selection, fertility, embryonic lethals

See more of: Genetics of Trait Complexes - Reproduction
See more of: Genetics of Trait Complexes: Reproduction
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