Detection of Brachyspina carriers within Polish Holstein-Friesian bulls

The aim of this paper was to verify the hypothesis whether carriers of genetic defect Brachyspina occur in the Polish Holstein-Friesian Cattle. PCR method was used to screen 78 Polish Hol-stein-Friesian bulls. Eight bulls were identified as heterozygotes for 3,3 kb deletion in the FANCI gene - the mutation causing Brachyspina defect. All carriers were sons of 3 sires: Cleitus Jabot, Sandy-Valley Bolton ET and Coyne-Farms Dorcy ET which were descendants of the US sire Sweet Haven Tradition (HOUSAM 1682485). Systematic screening of young bulls having in the pedigree Barchyspina carrier is necessary to prevent spreading of the recessive mutation in the dairy cattle population in Poland

Cholesterol Deficiency - new genetic defect transmitted to Polish Holstein-Friesian cattle

The aim of the study was to find out whether carriers of new genetic defect Cholesterol Deficiency (CD) occur in the population of Polish Holstein-Friesian bulls. Twenty seven bulls were included in the analysis. Bulls were selected as having in the pedigree known carrier of CD (Maughlin Storm CANM000005457798). All bulls were diagnosed by the test described by Menzi et al. (2016) by using allele-specific PCR. Among 27 bulls, 9 new CD carriers were found. Our results show that causal mutation for CD is already transmitted to Polish Holstein-Friesian cattle. The results are sufficient ground to take practical action in order to avoid further spreading of mutation causing CD

Screening of Polish Holstein-Friesian bulls towards eradication of Complex Vertebral Malformation (CVM) carriers

The effectiveness of a program aimed at eradicating carriers of the recessive disorder Complex Vertebral Malformation (CVM) from the population of Holstein-Friesian bulls is reported. Among 1823 bulls, 1268 young and 555 proven bulls were examined. Three hundred and three bulls appeared to be CVM carriers (16.62%). The highest number of carriers occurred in the sons of a CVM sire, 55.51% and 61.90%, for proven and young bulls, respectively. This very high incidence of CVM carriers forced us to implement a strategy of screening young bulls offered by individual breeders to insemination centers. In effect, the number of CVM carriers dramatically dropped among proven bulls born in 2004 and disappeared in bulls born in 2006