Physiol.
Genomics 1: 165-175, 1999. First published November 11, 1999;
1094-8341/99 $5.00
Received 12 May 1999; accepted in final form 15 October
1999.
Physiological Genomics 1:165-175 (1999)
1094-8341/99 $5.00
© 1999 American
Physiological Society
A genome scan for QTL influencing milk production and health traits in dairy
cattle
D. W. HEYEN1; J. I. WELLER2; M. RON2; M. BAND1; J. E. BEEVER1; E. FELDMESSER2; Y. DA1; G. R. WIGGANS3; P. M. VANRADEN3 and
H. A. LEWIN1
1 Department of Animal Sciences, University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
2 Institute
of Animal Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, the Volcani Center, Bet
Dagan 50250, Israel
3 United States Department of
Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Animal Improvement Programs
Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland 20705–2350
Heyen, D. W., J. I. Weller, M. Ron, M. Band, J. E. Beever,
E. Feldmesser, Y. Da, G. R. Wiggans, P. M. VanRaden, and H. A.
Lewin. A genome scan for QTL influencing milk production and
health traits in dairy cattle. Physiol. Genomics 1: 165–175,
1999.—A genome scan was conducted in the North American
Holstein-Friesian population for quantitative trait loci (QTL)
affecting production and health traits using the granddaughter
design. Resource families consisted of 1,068 sons of eight elite
sires. Genome coverage was estimated to be 2,551 cM (85%) for
174 genotyped markers. Each marker was tested for effects on
milk yield, fat yield, protein yield, fat percentage, protein
percentage, somatic cell score, and productive herd life using
analysis of variance. Joint analysis of all families identified
marker effects on 11 chromosomes that exceeded the genomewide,
suggestive, or nominal significance threshold for QTL effects.
Large marker effects on fat percentage were found on chromosomes
3 and 14, and multimarker regression analysis was used to refine
the position of these QTL. Half-sibling families from Israeli
Holstein dairy herds were used in a daughter design to confirm
the presence of the QTL for fat percentage on chromosome 14.
The QTL identified in this study may be useful for marker-assisted
selection and for selection of a refined set of candidate genes
affecting these traits.
genomics; lactation; mastitis
