Cattle residual feed intake candidate genes

Abstract

One option that can be used to select cattle for improving feed efficiency is to select for genes affecting residual feed intake. Previous studies using two groups of cattle, the Trangie Angus residual feed intake (RFI) selection line cattle and the Davies Jersey x Limousin gene mapping cattle have identified five chromosomal regions or QTL that have significant effects on net feed efficiency. These regions are on cattle chromosomes 1, 6, 8, 11 and 20. Recent work has also implicated mitochondrial function as being important in net feed efficiency in livestock. Using information from these chromosome regions and literature on mitochondrial function, candidate genes were selected for net feed efficiency. By sequencing the candidate genes, DNA variants including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and insertion and deletions (in/dels) were detected. The DNA variants will be genotyped in the progeny for association studies.