Genetic characterisation of PPARG, CEBPA and RXRA, and their influence on meat quality traits in cattle

Background: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG), CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha (CEBPA) and retinoid X receptor alpha (RXRA) are nuclear transcription factors that play important roles in regulation of adipogenesis and fat deposition. The objectives of this study were to characterise the variability of these three candidate genes in a mixed sample panel composed of several cattle breeds with different meat quality, validate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a local crossbred population (Angus - Hereford - Limousin) and evaluate their effects on meat quality traits (backfat thickness, intramuscular fat content and fatty acid composition), supporting the association tests with bioinformatic predictive studies. Results: Globally, nine SNPs were detected in the PPARG and CEBPA genes within our mixed panel, including a novel SNP in the latter. Three of these nine, along with seven other SNPs selected from the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism database (SNPdb), including SNPs in the RXRA gene, were validated in the crossbred population (N = 260). After validation, five of these SNPs were evaluated for genotype effects on fatty acid content and composition. Significant effects were observed on backfat thickness and different fatty acid contents (P < 0.05). Some of these SNPs caused slight differences in mRNA structure stability and/or putative binding sites for proteins. Conclusions: PPARG and CEBPA showed low to moderate variability in our sample panel. Variations in these genes, along with RXRA, may explain part of the genetic variation in fat content and composition. Our results may contribute to knowledge about genetic variation in meat quality traits in cattle and should be evaluated in larger independent populations.Instituto de Genética Veterinari

Characterization of the bovine gene LIPE and possible influence on fatty acid composition of meat

LIPE is an intracellular neutral lipase, which is capable of hydrolyzing a variety of esters and plays a key role in the mobilization of fatty acids from diacylglycerols. The objectives of this study were to characterize the genetic polymorphism of bovine LIPE gene and to evaluate the possible association between three SNPs in the coding regions of this gene with the fatty acid composition of meat in a cattle population. Forty-three unrelated animals from different cattle breeds were re-sequenced and 21 SNPs were detected over approximately 2600. bp, five of these SNPs were novel. Three SNPs were selected, on the basis of evolutionary conservation, to perform validation and association studies in a crossbred cattle population. Our results may suggest a possible association of SNP1 with contents of oleic acid and total monounsaturated fatty acids (p < 0.01), and SNP2 and SNP3 with Heneicosylic acid content (p < 0.01), may be helpful to improve the quality of meat and improve health.Instituto de Genética Veterinari

Einfluss von drei Einzelnucleotidpolymorphismen im CAPN1 Gen auf die Zartheit von Rindfleisch

Meat tenderness is an important trait in beef cattle production, as consumers consider tenderness the most important attribute of beef palatability. There is ample evidence that post mortem proteolysis of myofibrillar proteins is responsible for the decline in shear force uring storage. The bovine micromolar calcium-activated neutral protease CAPN1) gene encodes the large subunit of μ-calpain, which is thought to be one of the most important enzymes involved in post mortem tenderization (KOOHMARAIE 1996). Three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the CAPN1 gene (316, 530 and 4 751 markers)have been associated with tenderness in different cattle breeds (PAGE et al. 2002, PAGE et al. 2004, WHITE et al. 2005). A more recent study confirmed that markers 316 and 4 751 had an effect on beef tenderness (VAN EENENNAAM et al. 2007). The objective of this research was to determine the existence of polymorphisms and to assess the effect of the reported SNP in the bovine CAPN1 gene on tenderness from a sample of Angus and Brangus steers fattened on pasture.Fil: Soria, Liliana A.. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; ArgentinaFil: Corva, Pablo Marcelo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Sica, Andrea Branda. Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria; UruguayFil: Schor, Alejandro. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomia. Departamento de Producción Animal. Cátedra de Bovinos de Carne; ArgentinaFil: Melucci, Lilia Magdalena. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Villarreal, Edgardo L.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Buenos Aires Sur. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce. Área de Investigación en Producción y Sanidad Animal; ArgentinaFil: Mezzadra, Carlos Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Buenos Aires Sur. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce. Área de Investigación en Producción y Sanidad Animal; ArgentinaFil: Cantet, Rodolfo Juan Carlos. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario; ArgentinaFil: Miquel, Maria Cristina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentin

Evaluación genética de una majada de cabras Criollo en Los Llanos de La Rioja, Argentina

La raza caprina Criollo constituye un recurso genético para producción de carne en regiones áridas y semiáridas de Argentina. En 1989, la EEA (INTA) La Rioja inició una majada experimental para estudiar su potencial productivo. Para analizar la variabilidad genética de la majada se estimaron a) la tasa de inbreeding, tamaño efectivo de la población y parámetros basados en la teoría de probabilidad de origen de los genes: número efectivo de fundadores (fe) y número de ancestros (fa) y b) las tendencias en los componentes directos y maternos del peso al nacer (PNd y PNm) y peso al destete (PDd y PDm, respectivamente). En el primer caso se utilizó el programa ENDOG (v 4.0). Los valores de cría predichos de PN y PD se estimaron en forma unicarácter incluyendo los respectivos efectos fijos y los efectos genéticos directos, maternos y del ambiente permanente. La información correspondió a 1748 cabritos nacidos entre 1994 y 2005. La estructura genética de la población indicó 345 fundadores y 508 medio fundadores mostrando un tamaño efectivo de la población base de 66,32 reproductores, una endogamia esperada por generación de 0,75 % y una endogamia media calculada a partir del promedio de los coeficientes de consanguinidad estimados de 0,35%. La población de referencia correspondió a 1067 individuos con ambos padres conocidos, donde fa= 194 y fe= 23 individuos de los cuales solo 9 explicaron el 50 % de la variabilidad total. Las tendencias genéticas generacionales para PNd, PNm, PDd y PDm fueron: -0,00572 ± 0,00392 (P>0,05); -0,02532 ± 0,00383 (P>0,01); -0,18932 ± 0,02991 (P<0,01) y 0,06457 ± 0,01034 (P<0,01), respectivamente. Se considera necesario implementar estrategias de apareamientos para controlar el incremento de consanguinidad y aumentar el tamaño efectivo de la población. Las tendencias genéticas indicaron un leve incremento en el crecimiento predestete de los animales.The Criollo goat is a beef genetic recourse for arid region in Argentine. In 1989 an experimental flock was created in La Rioja, EEA (INTA) with the objective of to learn your productivity. The present study analyzes the genetic variation of flock through of a) inbreeding rate, effective population size and the estimation of parameters based on the theory of probabilities of gene origin: effective number of founders (fe) effective number of ancestors (fa) and b) genetic tends in direct and maternal components of birth (PNd y PNm) and weaning (PDd y PDm) weight, respectively. In the first case, it was performed using the ENDOG (v 4.0) program. Estimates of PN and PD breeding value were obtained by unitrait mixed model with corresponding fixed effect and direct, maternal and permanent genetic effects. The information available came from 1748 kid born between 1994 and 2005. On the base population there was 345 and 508 founder and half founder, respectively, with an effective population size of 66.32 and an expected inbreeding of 0,75 % by generation and a computed mean inbreeding from estimated inbreeding coefficients of 0,35% by generation. The reference population was performed by 1067 individual with both parents known, where fa=194 and fe= 23 but the 50 % of total variability was explained by only 9 individual. The genetic tends by generation were -0.00572 ± 0.00392 (P>0.05); -0.02532 ± 0.00383 (P>0.01); -0.18932 ± 0.02991 (P<0.01) and 0.06457 ± 0.01034 (P<0.01) for PNd, PNm, PDd and PDm, respectively. An optimum policy of mating needs to be established to control the inbreeding and increasing Ne. The genetic tends shown a slow increasing in preweaning growth of animals.EEA La RiojaFil: Vera, Tomas Anibal. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria La Rioja; ArgentinaFil: Melucci, Lilia Magdalena. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; ArgentinaFil: Chagra Dib, Elsa Patricia. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria La Rioja; ArgentinaFil: Leguiza, Hector Daniel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria La Rioja; Argentina.Fil: Dayenoff, Patricio Mario. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria La Rioja; Argentina.Fil: Ricarte, Ramon Armando. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria La Rioja; Argentina

Effects of cytoplasmic inheritance on preweaning traits of Hereford cattle

The influence of cytoplasmic inheritance on birth and weaning weight was evaluated in an experimental Hereford herd. Data on 1,720 records for birth and weaning weights from calves born between 1963 and 2002 were studied. Variance components were estimated using MTDFREML procedures and an animal model was fitted for each trait. Direct and maternal additive effects and permanent environment and maternal lineage effects were treated as random, while year and month of birth, age of dam and sex of the calf were treated as fixed. Identification of maternal lineages was based on pedigree information. The contribution to phenotypic variance of cytoplasmic lineages defined by pedigree information was negligible for both traits. Mitochondrial genotypes of cows present in the herd in 2002 were analyzed by single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis. Only five different genotypes were identified among 23 maternal lineages. All the animals with records were assigned to maternal genotypes based on pedigree information. The statistical analysis was repeated, removing maternal lineage from the model and including mitochondrial genotype as a fixed effect. No evidence of genotype effects was detected. These results suggest a negligible effect of the mitochondrial genome on the preweaning traits of this Hereford herd.Facultad de Ciencias Veterinaria

Characterization of the bovine gene LIPE and possible influence on fatty acid composition of meat

LIPE is an intracellular neutral lipase, which is capable of hydrolyzing a variety of esters and plays a key role in the mobilization of fatty acids from diacylglycerols. The objectives of this study were to characterize the genetic polymorphism of bovine LIPE gene and to evaluate the possible association between three SNPs in the coding regions of this gene with the fatty acid composition of meat in a cattle population. Forty-three unrelated animals from different cattle breeds were re-sequenced and 21 SNPs were detected over approximately 2600. bp, five of these SNPs were novel. Three SNPs were selected, on the basis of evolutionary conservation, to perform validation and association studies in a crossbred cattle population. Our results may suggest a possible association of SNP1 with contents of oleic acid and total monounsaturated fatty acids (p < 0.01), and SNP2 and SNP3 with Heneicosylic acid content (p < 0.01), may be helpful to improve the quality of meat and improve health.Instituto de Genética Veterinari

Bayesian analysis of selection for greater weaning weight while maintaining birth weight in beef cattle

An experimental Hereford herd established in 1960 was used from 1986 to 2006 to select for increased weaning weight (W) without increasing birth weight (B). Data were B and W collected over the 47 yr from 2,124 calves. Including ancestors, the pedigree file had 2,369 animals. Selection was practiced only in males. In the first stage (1986 to 1993), mass-selected bulls were chosen with the index I = B + 9374.76 RDG (relative daily gain). From 1994 to 2006, the selection criterion for bull i was Ii = BLUPi(WD) – 2.33 BLUPi(BD), where the BLUP were for the direct BV of B (BD) and W (WD), respectively. Predictions were obtained from a 2-trait animal model with B having only BD, and W with WD and WM (maternal additive effects). Selection response was estimated using a Bayesian approach by means of the Gibbs sampler for a 2-trait animal model including BD, BM (maternal BV for B), WD, and WM. Estimated heritabilities for BD, BM, WD, and WM were 0.40, 0.23, 0.05, and 0.23, respectively. The correlation between BD and BM was close to zero (0.01), and between WD and WM was positive (0.37). The correlation between BD and WD was 0.07, and between BM and WM was 0.58. The 2 methods used to estimate selection response gave similar results. In both periods BD decreased, whereas BM increased. The reduction of BD due to selection was slightly larger in the second period than in the first one. The regression of BV for W increased due to selection in both stages, but selection response was 21.6% larger from 1986 to 1992 than from 1993 to 2006. The maternal effect, WM increased more than 3 times compared with WD in the first period, but ended up being almost the same value as WD in period 2. The Bulmer effect was manifested by the decrease in magnitude of all (co)variance components during selection. It is concluded that selection to increase BW at weaning in beef cattle, although not increasing BW at birth, was moderately effective.Fil: Melucci, Lilia Magdalena. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Buenos Aires Sur. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce. Agencia de Extensión Rural Balcarce; ArgentinaFil: Birchmeier, Ana Nélida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Departamento de Producción Animal; ArgentinaFil: Cappa, Eduardo Pablo. University of British Columbia; Canadá. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario; ArgentinaFil: Cantet, Rodolfo Juan Carlos. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Departamento de Producción Animal; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario; Argentin

Effects of cytoplasmic inheritance on preweaning traits of Hereford cattle

The influence of cytoplasmic inheritance on birth and weaning weight was evaluated in an experimental Hereford herd. Data on 1,720 records for birth and weaning weights from calves born between 1963 and 2002 were studied. Variance components were estimated using MTDFREML procedures and an animal model was fitted for each trait. Direct and maternal additive effects and permanent environment and maternal lineage effects were treated as random, while year and month of birth, age of dam and sex of the calf were treated as fixed. Identification of maternal lineages was based on pedigree information. The contribution to phenotypic variance of cytoplasmic lineages defined by pedigree information was negligible for both traits. Mitochondrial genotypes of cows present in the herd in 2002 were analyzed by single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis. Only five different genotypes were identified among 23 maternal lineages. All the animals with records were assigned to maternal genotypes based on pedigree information. The statistical analysis was repeated, removing maternal lineage from the model and including mitochondrial genotype as a fixed effect. No evidence of genotype effects was detected. These results suggest a negligible effect of the mitochondrial genome on the preweaning traits of this Hereford herd

Effects of cytoplasmic inheritance on preweaning traits of Hereford cattle

The influence of cytoplasmic inheritance on birth and weaning weight was evaluated in an experimental Hereford herd. Data on 1,720 records for birth and weaning weights from calves born between 1963 and 2002 were studied. Variance components were estimated using MTDFREML procedures and an animal model was fitted for each trait. Direct and maternal additive effects and permanent environment and maternal lineage effects were treated as random, while year and month of birth, age of dam and sex of the calf were treated as fixed. Identification of maternal lineages was based on pedigree information. The contribution to phenotypic variance of cytoplasmic lineages defined by pedigree information was negligible for both traits. Mitochondrial genotypes of cows present in the herd in 2002 were analyzed by single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis. Only five different genotypes were identified among 23 maternal lineages. All the animals with records were assigned to maternal genotypes based on pedigree information. The statistical analysis was repeated, removing maternal lineage from the model and including mitochondrial genotype as a fixed effect. No evidence of genotype effects was detected. These results suggest a negligible effect of the mitochondrial genome on the preweaning traits of this Hereford herd