Muscle-related traits in cattle: The role of the myostatin gene in the South Devon breed

Genetics Selection Evolution

John Lewis Williams³  John Arthur Woolliams³  Alyson Margaret Lewis¹  Judith Alexis Smith²  Pamela Wiener³ 

[1] Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Dumbarton Road, Glasgow, G11 6NU, UK;Department of Veterinary Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Bearsdon Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK;Roslin Institute, Roslin, Midlothian, EH25 9PS, UK

关键词: muscle hypertrophy;    double muscling;    South Devon cattle;    myostatin;    GDF-8;   

Others  :  1094579
DOI  :  10.1186/1297-9686-34-2-221

 received in 2001-02-22, accepted in 2001-10-19,  发布年份 2002

【 摘 要 】

In this paper, we examined the effects of an 11-bp mutation within the GDF-8 gene, originally identified in Belgian Blue cattle, in the South Devon breed. The mutation was found at moderate frequency (0.37) in the South Devon population. We quantified the effects of this mutation on growth, body composition and calving traits in South Devon cattle. We found that the mutation significantly increased muscle score and calving difficulty and decreased fat depth. The mutation did not significantly affect weight at 200 and 400 days or muscle depth. Its effect on muscle score and fat depth was additive while its effect on calving difficulty was recessive. The mutation accounted for a significant proportion of the phenotypic variance in muscle score and calving difficulty. There was an economic benefit of the mutation for this data set, however, calculations were sensitive to changes in the parameter values. Additional data would be required to refine these calculations.

【 授权许可】

   
2002 INRA, EDP Sciences