The efficiency of multi-generation selection on maternal traits, with implications for reindeer

Maternally affected traits, such as juvenile growth and survival, provide resilience in mammal species, in particular for reindeer living in extreme northern habitat. The genetic variation in such traits is caused by direct and maternal genetic effects (DGE and MGE, respectively). We used Willham's variance-component approach and extended a family index with the focal individual and its full- and half-sibs to an approximated BLUP (pseudo-BLUP) by including the parents' estimated breeding values. Most of the deviations of the predicted responses from the simulated ones were 4.1% for DGE and 5.3% for MGE. The benefits of index and BLUP selection are high in the case of negative correlation, large full-sib family and in particular, when maternal half-sibs are available. Higher economic value for MGE than for DGE is needed, since with equal heritabilities and economic weights for the effects the maternal response is 40 to 70% of the direct one. With negative correlation, records on collateral relatives beyond sibs are possibly needed. They would support also the prediction of MGE in uniparous reindeer lacking full-sib information.Peer reviewe

Towards Uniform Gene Bank Documentation In Europe – The Experience From The EFABISnet Project

In the EFABISnet project, a collaborative effort of EAAP, FAO and partners from 14 European countries, in cooperation with the European Regional Focal Point for Animal Genetic Resources (ERFP), national information systems for monitoring the animal genetic resources on breed level were established in Austria, Cyprus, Estonia, Georgia, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, and United Kingdom. The network was soon extended beyond the project plans, with the establishment of EFABIS databases in Finland, Greece, and Hungary. The network was then complemented by a set of inventories of national gene bank collections to strengthen the documentation of ex situ conservation programmes. These documentation systems were established by the National Focal Points for management of farm animal genetic resources. Here we present the experience gained in establishment of these national inventories of gene banks and their relevance to the Strategic Priority Areas of the Global Plan of Action which could be useful for other areas in the world

A note on mate allocation for dominance handling in genomic selection

Estimation of non-additive genetic effects in animal breeding is important because it increases the accuracy of breeding value prediction and the value of mate allocation procedures. With the advent of genomic selection these ideas should be revisited. The objective of this study was to quantify the efficiency of including dominance effects and practising mating allocation under a whole-genome evaluation scenario. Four strategies of selection, carried out during five generations, were compared by simulation techniques. In the first scenario (MS), individuals were selected based on their own phenotypic information. In the second (GSA), they were selected based on the prediction generated by the Bayes A method of whole-genome evaluation under an additive model. In the third (GSD), the model was expanded to include dominance effects. These three scenarios used random mating to construct future generations, whereas in the fourth one (GSD + MA), matings were optimized by simulated annealing. The advantage of GSD over GSA ranges from 9 to 14% of the expected response and, in addition, using mate allocation (GSD + MA) provides an additional response ranging from 6% to 22%. However, mate selection can improve the expected genetic response over random mating only in the first generation of selection. Furthermore, the efficiency of genomic selection is eroded after a few generations of selection, thus, a continued collection of phenotypic data and re-evaluation will be required

A search for quantitative trait loci for milk production traits on chromosome 6 in Finnish Ayrshire cattle

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Exploring farmer attitudes and preferences to inform the development and implementation of breeding (abstract)

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Mapping of multiple quantitative trait loci by regression in half sib designs.

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Mapping of quantitative trait loci affecting quality and production traits in egg layers

A mapping population segregating for egg quality traits was created by a line cross between two egg layer lines and screened by a genome scan. The F2 generation consisted of 307 hens, which were scored for egg quality and production traits. The mapping population was genotyped for 99 microsatellite loci, spanning nine macrochromosomes and five small linkage groups. The linkage maps were used in mapping QTL affecting 14 traits, by using multiple markers and a least-squares approach. We detected 14 genomewide significant and six suggestive QTL that were located on chromosomes 2, 3, 4, 5, and, 8 and sex chromosome Z. A significant QTL affecting egg white thinning was found on chromosome 2. For eggshell strength, a significant QTL was found on chromosome Z. For production traits, the most interesting area was on chromosome 4, where highly significant QTL effects were detected for BW, egg weight, and feed intake in the same area. The most significant QTL explains 25.8% of the phenotypic variance in F2 of body weight. An area affecting the age at first egg, egg weight, and the number of eggs was located on chromosome