A new study published in the journal Cell Genomics finds that regulatory genes are responsible for 69% of the heritability of dairy cattle traits such as milk production and fertility. This is much higher than previous studies of regulatory genes in humans and could improve the efficiency of agricultural breeding programs.
The study was conducted by a team of animal and human geneticists from the University of Melbourne, Agriculture Victoria, and the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute. The team used a large dataset of more than 120,000 dairy cattle genomes to examine the role of regulatory genes in 37 traits related to milk production, mastitis, fertility, temperament, and body size.
The researchers found that regulatory genes were responsible for 69% of the heritability of these traits, on average. This means that genetic variants in regulatory genes explain a large portion of the variation in these traits between individuals.
The researchers say that their findings could help farmers to selectively breed cattle for desired traits. By mapping genetic variants related to gene expression and RNA splicing, farmers can identify cattle with the most favorable genotypes for these traits. This could lead to improved milk production, fertility, and other important traits in dairy cattle.
The study also has implications for human genetics. The researchers say that their findings suggest that regulatory genes may play an even larger role in determining human traits than previously thought. This could open new opportunities for understanding and improving human health.
The study was supported by the Australian Research Council, DairyBio, the National Health and Medical Research Council, the European Union's Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant, the BBSRC, and the University of Melbourne.
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Categories: New York, Education, Livestock, Dairy Cattle