Genome‐wide analysis of homozygosity regions in european simmental bulls

The study of Runs of Homozygosity (ROH) is a useful approach for the characterization of the genome of livestock populations. Due to their high relationship with autozygosity, ROH allow to make inference about population genetic history, to estimate the level of inbreeding, to assess within breed heterogeneity and to detect the footprints of selection on livestock genomes. Aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of runs of homozygosity in bulls belonging to five European Simmental populations and to assess the relationship between three production traits (milk yield, fat and protein contents) and autozygosity. ROH count, distribution and ROH‐based coefficient of inbreeding (F_ROH) were calculated for 3,845 Simmental bulls of five different European countries: Austria (AT), Switzerland (CH), Czech Republic (CZ), Germany (DE) and Italy (IT). Average values of ROH number per animal, and total genome length covered by ROH were 77.8 ± 20.7 and 205 ± 74.4 Mb, respectively. Bulls from AT, DE and IT exhibited similar ROH characteristics. Swiss animals showed the highest (12.6%), while CZ the lowest (4.6%) F_ROH coefficient. The relationship between ROH occurrence and milk production traits was investigated through a genome‐wide ROH‐traits association analysis (GWRA). A total of 34 regions previously associated with milk traits (yield and/or composition) were identified by GWRA. Results of the present research highlight a mixed genetic background in the 5 European Simmental populations, with the possible presence of three subgroups. Moreover, a strong relationship between autozygosity and production traits has been detected.     

Detection of runs of homozygosity in conserved and commercial pig breeds in Poland

Runs of homozygosity (ROH) are continuous segments of the genome that arose as a result of inbreeding, resulting in the inheritance of identical haplotypes from both parents who shared a common ancestor. In the present study, we performed a detailed characterization and comparison of ROH in four pig breeds, including intensively selected Polish Landrace as well as native unselected animals of Puławska and two Złotnicka breeds (White and Spotted). We used a medium-density PorcineSNP60 BeadChip assay (Illumina) and cgaTOH software to detect ROH covering a minimum of 30 adjacent SNPs and maintaining a size over 1 Mb. By analysing ROH distribution and frequency across the genome, we also identified genomic regions with high ROH frequency (so-called “ROH hotspots”). The obtained results showed that the analysed conserved breeds were characterized by a higher ROH span and higher ROH-based inbreeding coefficients (F_ROH), which likely result from past population bottlenecks, increasing the overall inbreeding level within these populations. The analysis of ROH distribution across the genomes revealed the presence of both shared and breed-specific ROH hotspots. These hotspots, presumably representing genome regions under selection, overlapped with a variety of genes associated with processes connected with immune system functioning, reproduction, glucose homeostasis and metabolism. The genome regions with ROH hotspots overlapping in all analysed populations, located on SSC4 (51.9–55.9 Mb) and 13 (92.6–97.8 Mb), covered thirty-one different genes, including MMP16, SLC7A13, ATP6V0D2, CNGB3, WWiP1, RiMDN1 and CPNE3. These genes are primarily associated with biological regulation and metabolism, processes that could be responsible for the variety of the selected production and functional features.     

Genome-wide scan for runs of homozygosity in the composite Montana Tropical® beef cattle

The aim of this study was to assess the distribution of runs of homozygosity (ROH) and autozygosity islands in the composite Montana Tropical^® beef cattle to explore hotspot regions which could better characterize the different biological types within the composite breed. Montana animals (n = 1,436) were genotyped with the GGP-LD BeadChip (~30,000 markers). ROH was identified in every individual using the plink v1.90 software. Medium and long ROH prevailed in the genome, which accounted for approximately 74% of all ROH detected. On an average, 2.0% of the genome was within ROH, agreeing with the pedigree-based inbreeding coefficient. The Montana cattle with a higher proportion of productive breed types showed the highest number of autozygosity islands (n = 17), followed by those with a higher proportion of breeds adapted to tropical environments (n = 15). Enriched terms (p < .05) associated with the immune and inflammatory response, homeostasis, reproduction, mineral absorption, and lipid metabolism were described within the autozygosity islands. In this regard, over-represented GO terms and KEGG pathways described in this population may play a key role in providing information to explore the genetic and biological mechanisms together with the genomic regions underlying each biological type that favoured their optimal performance ability in tropical and subtropical regions.     

Estimates of autozygosity derived from runs of homozygosity: empirical evidence from selected cattle populations

Using genome‐wide SNP data, we calculated genomic inbreeding coefficients (F_ROH > _1 Mb, F_{ROH > 2 Mb}, F_{ROH > 8 Mb} and F_{ROH > 16 Mb}) derived from runs of homozygosity (ROH) of different lengths (>1, >2, >8 and > 16 Mb) as well as from levels of homozygosity (F_HOM). We compared these values of inbreeding coefficients with those calculated from pedigrees (F_PED) of 1422 bulls comprising Brown Swiss (304), Fleckvieh (502), Norwegian Red (499) and Tyrol Grey (117) cattle breeds. For all four breeds, population inbreeding levels estimated by the genomic inbreeding coefficients F_{ROH > 8 Mb} and F_{ROH > 16 Mb} were similar to the levels estimated from pedigrees. The lowest values were obtained for Fleckvieh (F_PED = 0.014, F_{ROH > 8 Mb} = 0.019 and F_{ROH > 16 Mb} = 0.008); the highest, for Brown Swiss (F_PED = 0.048, F_{ROH > 8 Mb} = 0.074 and F_{ROH > 16 Mb} = 0.037). In contrast, inbreeding estimates based on the genomic coefficients F_{ROH > 1 Mb} and F_{ROH > 2 Mb} were considerably higher than pedigree‐derived estimates. Standard deviations of genomic inbreeding coefficients were, on average, 1.3–1.7‐fold higher than those obtained from pedigrees. Pearson correlations between genomic and pedigree inbreeding coefficients ranged from 0.50 to 0.62 in Norwegian Red (lowest correlations) and from 0.64 to 0.72 in Tyrol Grey (highest correlations). We conclude that the proportion of the genome present in ROH provides a good indication of inbreeding levels and that analysis based on ROH length can indicate the relative amounts of autozygosity due to recent and remote ancestors.     

基于SNP芯片的海南猪全基因组选择信号分析

旨在通过检测海南猪全基因组上的选择信号,以挖掘与海南猪重要经济性状相关的候选基因,并解析讨论海南猪在进化驯化历史中的受选择情况.本研究利用68头海南猪的GeneSeek Genomic Profiler Procine SNP 80K芯片数据,使用整合单倍型分数(integrated haplotype score,i...     

Two novel intronic polymorphisms of bovine FGF21 gene are associated with body weight at 18 months in Chinese cattle

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a hepatic hormone that regulates peripheral glucose tolerance, energy balance and lipid metabolism. Prior evidence suggests that FGF21 may have the potential to favorably reduce obesity. The objective of the present study was to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of bovine FGF21 using 1255 animals representing the five main Chinese breeds and to investigate the effect of these SNPs on economic traits in Nanyang cattle. Four significant SNPs were identified, one was a synonymous mutation and the other three were in intronic regions. The polymorphism information content (PIC) analysis showed that four beef cattle populations (NY, JX, LX and QC) had a moderate genetic diversity at the four loci while the beef and dairy population (CRS) had a low level. Additionally, allele and genotype frequencies for the beef breeds were significantly different from CRS, implying that these mutations are possibly associated with some quantitative traits. Moreover, linkage disequilibrium analysis and haplotype frequencies were also reported. Seven different haplotypes were identified and haplotype TCCC was predominant in all five cattle breeds. Association analysis suggested that SNPs g.297C>G and g.940C>T of bovine FGF21 were associated with higher body weight at 18 months within NY cattle, which would contribute to cattle breeding and genetics through marker-assisted selection (MAS).     

Genetic diversity and genomic inbreeding in Japanese Black cows in the islands of Okinawa Prefecture evaluated using single-nucleotide polymorphism array

Maintaining genetic diversity and inbreeding control are important in Japanese Black cattle production, especially in remote areas such as the islands of Okinawa Prefecture. Using a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array, we evaluated the genetic diversity and genomic inbreeding in Japanese Black cows from the islands of Okinawa Prefecture and compared them to those from other locations across Japan. Linkage disequilibrium decay was slower in cows in the islands of Okinawa Prefecture. The estimated effective population size declined over time in both populations. The genomic inbreeding coefficient (F_ROH) was estimated using long stretches of consecutive homozygous SNPs (runs of homozygosity; ROH). F_ROH was higher in the cows on the islands of Okinawa Prefecture than on other locations. In total, 818 ROH fragments, including those containing NCAPG and PLAG1, which are major quantitative trait loci for carcass weight in Japanese Black cattle, were present at significantly higher frequencies in cows in the islands of Okinawa Prefecture. This suggests that the ROH fragments are under strong selection and that cows in the islands of Okinawa Prefecture have low genetic diversity and high genomic inbreeding relative to those at other locations. SNP arrays are useful tools for evaluating genetic diversity and genomic inbreeding in cattle.     

中国不同牛种DGAT1基因遗传多样性及经济性状关联分析研究进展

乙酰辅酯A∶二酰甘油酰基转移酶(DGAT1)是甘油三脂合成过程中唯一的关键酶,对动物机体脂肪代谢、沉积起重要作用,已成为研究奶牛泌乳性状和肉牛主要经济性状的重要候选基因之一。近年来,随着相关研究的不断深入,研究者普遍认为DGAT1基因对奶牛的产奶量、乳脂率、乳蛋白率、乳糖率、乳脂肪酸及空怀天数、输精次数、初配年龄等繁殖性状均有显著影响,且与肉牛体脂也存在相关性。作者主要介绍了DGAT1基因的遗传多态性及其与经济性状关联分析在中国各地区不同品种奶牛、肉牛、水牛和牦牛上的研究进展,指出该基因对奶牛的产奶性能及肉牛的肉质性状、生长性状具有重要的调控作用。但由于环境条件、品种及选育背景等因素影响,DGAT1基因遗传多态性对不同地区不同牛群体的经济性状影响不尽相同。因此,要将DGAT1基因实际应用在品种选育工作中还需明确该基因对研究群体的具体遗传效应,并结合其他候选基因进行综合分析。     

Evaluation of association between polymorphism within the thyroglobulin gene and milk production traits in dairy cattle

In dairy cattle, many studies have reported quantitative trait loci (QTL) on the centromeric end of chromosome 14 that affect milk production traits. One of the candidate genes in this QTL region – thyroglobulin (TG) – was previously found to be significantly associated with marbling in beef cattle. Thus, based on QTL studies in dairy cattle and because of possible effects of this gene on fat metabolism, we investigated the association of TG with milk yield and composition in Holstein dairy cattle. A total of 1279 bulls from the Cooperative Dairy DNA Repository Holstein population were genotyped for a single nucleotide polymorphism in TG used previously in beef cattle studies. Analysis of 29 sire families showed no significant association between TG variants and milk production traits. Within‐sire family analysis suggests that TG is neither the responsible gene nor a genetic marker in association with milk production traits.     

Genome-wide detection of signatures of selection in three Valdostana cattle populations

The Valdostana is a local dual purpose cattle breed developed in Italy. Three populations are recognized within this breed, based on coat colour, production level, morphology and temperament: Valdostana Red Pied (VPR), Valdostana Black Pied (VPN) and Valdostana Chestnut (VCA). Here, we investigated putative genomic regions under selection among these three populations using the Bovine 50K SNP array by combining three different statistical methods based either on allele frequencies (F_ST) or extended haplotype homozygosity (iHS and Rsb). In total, 8, 5 and 8 chromosomes harbouring 13, 13 and 16 genomic regions potentially under selection were identified by at least two approaches in VPR, VPN and VCA, respectively. Most of these candidate regions were population-specific but we found one common genomic region spanning 2.38 Mb on BTA06 which either overlaps or is located close to runs of homozygosity islands detected in the three populations. This region included inter alia two well-known genes: KDR, a well-established coat colour gene, and CLOCK, which plays a central role in positive regulation of inflammatory response and in the regulation of the mammalian circadian rhythm. The other candidate regions identified harboured genes associated mainly with milk and meat traits as well as genes involved in immune response/inflammation or associated with behavioural traits. This last category of genes was mainly identified in VCA, which is selected for fighting ability. Overall, our results provide, for the first time, a glimpse into regions of the genome targeted by selection in Valdostana cattle. Finally, this study illustrates the relevance of using multiple complementary approaches to identify genomic regions putatively under selection in livestock.     

肃南牦牛群体遗传结构、选择信号分析和ROH检测

【目的】试验旨在对肃南牦牛进行群体遗传结构、选择信号分析和连续纯合片段(ROH)检测,挖掘肃南牦牛的种质特性相关基因。【方法】选择肃南牦牛、巴州牦牛、斯布牦牛、九龙牦牛和天祝白牦牛5个牦牛品种共计48头牦牛进行全基因组重测序,采用基因组变异检测流程(GATK)获得高质量的单核苷酸多态性(SNP)标记进行下游分析;对5个牦牛品种的基因型数据进行主成分分析、祖先成分分析和系统进化树分析以确定其群体结构;对5个牦牛群体进行ROH检测以及近交系数计算;采用综合单倍型评分(iHS)方法筛选共有高频ROH区域内受选择位点。【结果】5个牦牛品种共鉴定出15 092 883个SNPs,主要分布于内含子区域。亲缘关系计算结果显示,所有个体均不存在三代以内亲缘关系,满足后续分析要求。主成分分析表明,5个牦牛品种可以显著地分为5个类群,其中肃南牦牛群体内遗传变异较小。群体结构分析显示,肃南牦牛包含其他4种牦牛祖先成分,其中天祝白牦牛祖先成分所占的比例最大。ROH分析显示,5个牦牛品种共检测到8 426个ROHs片段,其中高频ROH区域421个。相比于其他4个牦牛品种,肃南牦牛的ROH片段总长度和数目最多,具有较高的连锁程度,其近交系数远大于其他牦牛群体。在肃南牦牛高频ROH区域上注释得到465个候选基因,主要富集到与机体发育、大脑形态形成、脂肪氧化相关的通路,包括胚胎骨骼系统形态发生、前后模式规范、甲状腺发育通路和Hippo通路,其中与胚胎发育及组织分化过程相关的基因有同源框A3(HOXA3)、HOXA5、HOXD3,与肉品质相关的基因有花生四烯酸12B (ALOX12B)、ALOX15B、ALOXE3,与中脑发育相关的基因为成纤维细胞生长因子8(FGF8)。在7号染色体1个高频ROH区域中(Chr7:12 661 870-13 045 935)鉴定到3个共享基因(核内不均一性核糖核蛋白K (HNRNPK)、驱动蛋白27(KIF27)、G激酶锚定蛋白1(GKAP1))与牦牛共有的高原适应性有关。对共有高频ROH区域内的位点进行iHS分析,鉴定到的受选择基因主要与抗病性、内质网分泌蛋白加工及细胞周期调节相关,包括N-α乙酰转移酶25(NAA25)、内质网分子伴侣29(ERP29)、跨膜蛋白16(TMEM116)、TRAF型锌指结构域蛋白1(TRAFD1)、HECT结构域E3泛素连接酶4(HECTD4)基因。【结论】本研究从全基因组水平系统评估肃南牦牛的遗传多样性和遗传背景,鉴定了肃南牦牛ROH区域内与表型相关的基因,并重点挖掘了与其他牦牛品种共享高频ROH区域内的受选择基因,为肃南牦牛种质资源开发、利用提供了重要理论依据。     

Association of bovine KISS1 single nucleotide polymorphisms with reproductive traits in Indian Cattle

Kisspeptins, a family of neuropeptide encoded by the Kiss1 gene, have emerged as crucial regulator of fertility and reproduction by regulating the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis. The present study was aimed to identify and associate SNPs in the KISS1 gene with reproductive traits in cattle of Indian origin. DNA samples collected from 300 individual cows of three Indian dairy breeds (Gir, Kankrej and Frieswal) of cattle were used in the study. The SNPs of KISS1 gene were identified with PCR-RFLP and sequence analysis using two sets of primer pairs. A total of 5 SNPs were identified in the targeted region of which, two were selected for screening the population and association studies. The analysis revealed that genotypes of rs442633552G>A and rs42022871C>T had a significant association with dry period. The SNP rs42022871C>T also established significant role in milk production traits, and selection of TT-genotyped animals will improve the reproduction and production potential of the animals.     

Relationship between inbreeding and milk production traits in two Italian dairy sheep breeds

The effects of inbreeding in livestock species breeds have been well documented and they have a negative impact on profitability. The objective of this study was to evaluate the levels of inbreeding in Sarda (SAR, n = 785) and Valle del Belice (VdB, n = 473) dairy sheep breeds and their impact on milk production traits. Two inbreeding coefficients (F) were estimated: using pedigree (F_PED), or runs of homozygosity (ROH; F_ROH) at different minimum ROH lengths and different ROH classes. After the quality control, 38,779 single nucleotide polymorphisms remained for further analyses. A mixed-linear model was used to evaluate the impact of inbreeding coefficients on production traits within each breed. VdB showed higher inbreeding coefficients compared to SAR, with both breeds showing lower estimates as the minimum ROH length increased. Significant inbreeding depression was found only for milk yield, with a loss of around 7 g/day (for SAR) and 9 g/day (VdB) for a 1% increase of F_ROH. The present study confirms how the use of genomic information can be used to manage intra-breed diversity and to calculate the effects of inbreeding on phenotypic traits.     

Development of DNA markers for improvement of meat quality in a Japanese Black cattle population in Hyogo Prefecture

The polymorphisms associated with economic traits in livestock animals provide useful information as genetic indicators for breeding improvement. Over the last two decades, several DNA markers have been developed in Japanese Black cattle; however, the effect of these markers differs across populations due to differences in their genetic structures and backgrounds. As such, there is a need to verify the effectiveness of these markers in each population. This review summarizes the effectiveness of previously reported markers on carcass traits and the development of novel DNA markers in a Japanese Black cattle population in Hyogo Prefecture. As result of genome wide association studies and resequencing analyses, two novel significant markers associated with meat quality-related traits (beef marbling and fatty acid composition) were developed. These findings will lead to the identification of responsible genes and polymorphisms and contribute to the development of novel DNA markers for numerous traits in various cattle populations.     

鹅产蛋性状全基因组选择信号分析

【目的】利用选择信号分析方法在伊犁鹅和霍尔多巴吉鹅中筛选与产蛋性状相关的候选基因。【方法】选取健康状况良好、饲养管理水平一致的2岁伊犁鹅母鹅和霍尔多巴吉鹅母鹅各24只,采集血液样本,提取基因组DNA,利用全基因组重测序技术进行选择信号检测分析,筛选出受到选择的候选区域,针对注释基因进行GO功能和KEGG通路富集分析,进一步筛选出与鹅产蛋性状相关的候选基因。【结果】全基因组重测序的平均测序深度为15.28×,与参考基因组比对率在97.31%以上。通过群体分化指数(Fst)对伊犁鹅和霍尔多巴吉鹅2个群体进行分析,共筛选到1 231个候选区域。与核苷酸多样性(Pi)进行联合分析后,伊犁鹅群体共筛选出10个候选区域,得到5个注释基因;霍尔多巴吉鹅群体中共筛选出353个候选区域,得到263个注释基因。GO功能和KEGG通路富集分析发现,初步筛选出6个可能与鹅产蛋性状相关的候选基因(BMP2、BMP6、MIS、ENO1、LIF、EP300),还发现了IL-18基因可能与禽类的免疫有关。【结论】本研究筛选出6个可能与鹅产蛋性状相关的候选基因,为揭示鹅产蛋性状的分子调控机制提供了参考。     

A whole genome scan to map QTL for milk production traits and somatic cell score in Canadian Holstein bulls

The detection and mapping of genetic markers linked to quantitative trait loci (QTL) can be utilized to enhance genetic improvement of livestock populations. With the completion of the bovine genome sequence assembly, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) assays spanning the whole bovine genome and research work on large scale identification, validation and analysis of genotypic variation in cattle has become possible. The objective of the present study was to perform a whole genome scan to identify and map QTL affecting milk production traits and somatic cell scores using linkage disequilibrium (LD) regression and 1536 SNP markers. Three and 18 SNP were found to be associated with only milk yield (MY) at a genome and chromosome wise significance (p < 0.05) level respectively. Among the 21 significant SNP, 16 were in a region reported to have QTL for MY in other dairy cattle populations and while the rest five were new QTL finding. Four SNP out of 21 are significant for the milk production traits (MY, fat yield, protein yield (PY), and milk contents) in the present study. Six and nine SNP were associated with PY at a genome and chromosome wise significant (p < 0.05) level respectively. Three and 17 SNP were found to be associated with FY at a genome and chromosome wise significant (p < 0.05) level. Five and seven SNP were mapped with somatic cell score at a genome and chromosome wise significant (p < 0.05) level respectively. The results of this study have revealed QTL for MY, PY, protein percentage, FY, fat percentage, somatic cell score and persistency of milk in the Canadian dairy cattle population. The chromosome regions identified in this study should be further investigated to potentially identify the causative mutations underlying the QTL.     

A genome‐wide association study for fat‐related traits computed by image analysis in Japanese Black cattle

The objective of this study was to identify genomic regions associated with fat‐related traits using a Japanese Black cattle population in Hyogo. From 1836 animals, those with high or low values were selected on the basis of corrected phenotype and then pooled into high and low groups (n = 100 each), respectively. DNA pool‐based genome‐wide association study (GWAS) was performed using Illumina BovineSNP50 BeadChip v2 with three replicate assays for each pooled sample. GWAS detected that two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on BTA7 (ARS‐BFGL‐NGS‐35463 and Hapmap23838‐BTA‐163815) and one SNP on BTA12 (ARS‐BFGL‐NGS‐2915) significantly affected fat percentage (FAR). The significance of ARS‐BFGL‐NGS‐35463 on BTA7 was confirmed by individual genotyping in all pooled samples. Moreover, association analysis between SNP and FAR in 803 Japanese Black cattle revealed a significant effect of SNP on FAR. Thus, further investigation of these regions is required to identify FAR‐associated genes and mutations, which can lead to the development of DNA markers for marker‐assisted selection for the genetic improvement of beef quality.     

Evaluation in beef cattle of six deoxyribonucleic acid markers developed for dairy traits reveals an osteopontin polymorphism associated with postweaning growth

The objectives of this study were to 1) estimate the allelic frequencies in US beef cattle of 6 DNA markers reported to be associated with variation in dairy production traits; and 2) evaluate the association of these markers with beef production traits. Several genetic markers have been associated with milk yield or composition, including polymorphisms in secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1; also called osteopontin), growth hormone receptor (GHR), casein S1 (CSN1S1), diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma co-activator-1alpha (PPARGC1A), and ATP-binding cassette subfamily G (white) member 2 (ABCG2). Allelic frequencies for these 6 markers, and their association with 21 phenotypes, were evaluated in 2 crossbred beef cattle populations that sample influential industry sires. Five of 6 markers were segregating in beef cattle populations; the exception was ABCG2. The SPP1 marker was associated with yearling weight (P = 0.025), live weight at slaughter (P = 0.016), postweaning ADG (P = 0.007), and HCW (P = 0.007) in a large, multisire population representing the 7 most populous beef breeds in the United States. Postweaning growth trait associations were confirmed in an independent population of similar construction, including sires from tropically adapted breeds. The SPP1 marker was associated with yearling weight (P = 0.034), live weight at slaughter (P = 0.011), and postweaning ADG (P = 0.015) and showed a trend toward association with HCW (P = 0.083) in this population. Whereas DGAT1, GHR, and CSN1S1 polymorphisms showed association with some traits in individual populations, the lack of consistent predictive merit between populations indicates they may not be suited for beef cattle selection. No significant associations were observed for the PPARGC1A marker and any of 21 recorded traits, indicating this marker had no apparent value in selection for the beef cattle traits tested in these populations. The SPP1 marker had consistent associations and effect sizes (10.5 to 11.5 kg of live weight at slaughter) in both populations, providing strong evidence for utility of the SPP1 marker for postweaning growth in beef cattle.     

Comparing deregression methods for genomic prediction of test‐day traits in dairy cattle

We aimed to investigate the performance of three deregression methods (VanRaden, VR; Wiggans, WG; and Garrick, GR) of cows’ and bulls’ breeding values to be used as pseudophenotypes in the genomic evaluation of test‐day dairy production traits. Three scenarios were considered within each deregression method: (i) including only animals with reliability of estimated breeding value (REL_EBV ) higher than the average of parent reliability (REL_PA ) in the training and validation populations; (ii) including only animals with REL_EBV higher than 0.50 in the training and REL_EBV higher than REL_PA in the validation population; and (iii) including only animals with REL_EBV higher than 0.50 in both training and validation populations. Individual random regression coefficients of lactation curves were predicted using the genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP), considering either unweighted or weighted residual variances based on effective records contributions. In summary, VR and WG deregression methods seemed more appropriate for genomic prediction of test‐day traits without need for weighting in the genomic analysis, unless large differences in REL_EBV between training population animals exist.     

Analysis of leukocyte populations in Canadian Holsteins classified as high or low immune responders for antibody- or cell-mediated immune response

Selection of dairy cattle for increased milk production with little or no emphasis on health traits leads to an increased prevalence of disease. A possible genetic solution to this problem is to combine production and immune response traits in a weighted selection index. In the current study, leukocyte populations in heifers identified as having a high antibody-mediated immune response (HiAMIR) or high cell-mediated immune response (HiCMIR) phenotype were compared before and after immunization in order to identify leukocyte population profiles associated with these phenotypes. The results demonstrated that the HiCMIR-phenotype animals had a higher baseline proportion of gamma-delta T-cells in peripheral blood. Also, the observed increase in the proportion of B-cells in peripheral blood in response to immunization was greater in the HiAMIR-phenotype animals. It is expected that identifying leukocyte population profiles associated with immune response phenotypes will improve our ability to identify animals with enhanced overall immune responsiveness.