Identification of Candidate Genes for Reactivity in Guzerat (Bos indicus) Cattle: A Genome-Wide Association Study

[EN] Temperament is fundamental to animal production due to its direct influence on the animalherdsman relationship. When compared to calm animals, the aggressive, anxious or fearful ones exhibit less weight gain, lower reproductive efficiency, decreased milk production and higher herd maintenance costs, all of which contribute to reduced profits. However, temperament is a trait that is complex and difficult to assess. Recently, a new quantitative system, REATEST®, for assessing reactivity, a phenotype of temperament, was developed. Herein, we describe the results of a Genome-wide association study for reactivity, assessed using REATEST® with a sample of 754 females from five dual-purpose (milk and meat production) Guzerat (Bos indicus) herds. Genotyping was performed using a 50k SNP chip and a twostep mixed model approach (Grammar-Gamma) with a one-by-one marker regression was used to identify QTLs. QTLs for reactivity were identified on chromosomes BTA1, BTA5, BTA14, and BTA25. Five intronic and two intergenic markers were significantly associated with reactivity. POU1F1, DRD3, VWA3A, ZBTB20, EPHA6, SNRPF and NTN4 were identified as candidate genes. Previous QTL reports for temperament traits, covering areas surrounding the SNPs/genes identified here, further corroborate these associations. The seven genes identified in the present study explain 20.5% of reactivity variance and give a better understanding of temperament biology. IntroductionSIWe thank the farmers, who allowed the development of this project in their facilities. We thank to Mr. Peter Laspina for performing language review and for the valuable comments. This study was supported by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) and Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (Embrapa). Maria Gabriela Campolina Diniz Peixoto was supported by the Fapemig—CVZ APQ 01353 e CVZ APQ 3182–5.04/07. MRSC has a fellowship from the CNPq– 307975/2010-0 and was supported by CNPq– 312068/2015-8 and 481018/2008-5 projects. MGCDP, RVV, MAM have fellowships from FAPEMIG. PASF has CNPq fellowship, FCS and ICR have CAPES fellowships

Concentrações plasmáticas de estradiol, testosterona, progesterona, prolactina e corticosterona em perdizes (Rhynchotus rufescens), criadas em cativeiro

Sob condições de estresse, as aves apresentam, como resposta corporal, uma série de alterações metabólicas e hormonais a fim de se adaptar às agressões do meio. Para estabelecer a associação das concentrações plasmáticas de corticosterona e prolactina com a característica indicativa de estresse, foram avaliados 21 machos e 22 fêmeas de perdizes (Rhynchotus rufescens) alojados em um galpão avícola convencional. De cada ave, foram efetuadas três medições matinais do tempo de permanência em imobilidade tônica, a intervalos de sete dias. Adicionalmente, foram colhidas amostras sanguíneas de aproximadamente 2,0 mL, através da punção da veia braquial, com seringa descartável heparinizada de 3 mL e agulhas 25x7 mm, 15 dias antes da primeira medição do tempo em imobilidade tônica (final de junho), e 3 dias após a última medição (final de julho). As informações prévias sobre produção de ovos pelas fêmeas e fecundação de ovos pelos machos de perdizes, obtidas durante a estação reprodutiva 2002-2003, foram utilizadas para classificação das aves conforme o desempenho produtivo em cativeiro. Nenhum dos efeitos testados para corticosterona foi significativo, em cada um dos sexos. No curto período de 30 dias, houve significativa redução da prolactina circulante no sangue, sendo que os machos variaram de 5,77 a 3,95 ng/mL, enquanto as fêmeas reduziram de 6,03 para 4,44 ng/mL. Não foi encontrada correlação significativa (P>0,05) entre quaisquer das características avaliadas no presente trabalho, tanto em machos quanto em fêmeas. O tempo de permanência em imobilidade tônica não foi indicativo do estado de estresse em perdizes criadas em cativeiro.In many stress conditions, birds presents an organic response with a series of metabolic and hormonal alterations, to become accustomed to environmental agressions. The objective of this study was to associate corticosterone and prolactin plasmatic concentrations with a indicative stress characteristic, evaluating 21 post-breeding partridge males and 22 post-breeding partridge females (Rhynchotus rufescens) carried out in a conventional avian barn. One time per week, during three consecutives weeks, mensurations of tonic immobility response were made in the morning. In addition, blood samples about 2.0 mL were collected via brachial vein punction, using anticoagulating sirynge and 25x7 mm needles, 15 days before first tonic immobility mensuration (end of june-2003), and again three days after last mensuration (end of july-2003). Previous informations about female egg production e male egg fertilization, during 2002-2003 breeding season were used to bird classification by productive performance in captivity. None of effects tested to corticosterone secretion was significative in any sex. Although in a short time period, 30 days approximately, prolactin concentration significative reduced in blood circulation, where males declined from 5.77 to 3.95 ng/mL, and females declined from 6.03 to 4.44 ng/mL. No correlation was find significative (P>0.05) among any evaluated characteristics, for both sexes. Tonic immoblility response was not a stress determination to partridges raised in captivity.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

Significantly associated SNPs for REACT^adj in Guzerat obtained by the GRAMMAR-Gamma method.

<p>Significantly associated SNPs for REACT^adj in Guzerat obtained by the GRAMMAR-Gamma method.</p

Manhattan plot of the -log10(p-values) for genome-wide association of REACT^adj.

<p>The continuous line represents the 5% Bonferroni threshold (1.59 x 10⁻⁶) and the dashed line represents the 5% FDR threshold.</p

Heritability and descriptive statistics for REACT and REACT^adj.

<p>Heritability and descriptive statistics for REACT and REACT^adj.</p