Candidate genes for mastitis resistance in dairy cattle : a data integration approach

Brajnik Kovačič, Zala (author), Ogorevc, Jernej (author)

Background Inflammation of the mammary tissue (mastitis) is one of the most detrimental health conditions in dairy ruminants and is considered the most economically important infectious disease of the dairy sector. Improving mastitis resistance is becoming an important goal in dairy ruminant breeding programmes. However, mastitis resistance is a complex trait and identification of mastitis-associated alleles in livestock is difficult. Currently, the only applicable approach to identify candidate loci for complex traits in large farm animals is to combine different information that supports the functionality of the identified genomic regions with respect to a complex trait. Methods To identify the most promising candidate loci for mastitis resistance we integrated heterogeneous data from multiple sources and compiled the information into a comprehensive database of mastitis-associated candidate loci. Mastitis-associated candidate genes reported in association, expression, and mouse model studies were collected by searching the relevant literature and databases. The collected data were integrated into a single database, screened for overlaps, and used for gene set enrichment analysis. Results The database contains candidate genes from association and expression studies and relevant transgenic mouse models. The 2448 collected candidate loci are evenly distributed across bovine chromosomes. Data integration and analysis revealed overlaps between different studies and/or with mastitis-associated QTL, revealing promising candidate genes for mastitis resistance. Conclusion Mastitis resistance is a complex trait influenced by numerous alleles. Based on the number of independent studies, we were able to prioritise candidate genes and propose a list of the 22 most promising. To our knowledge this is the most comprehensive database of mastitis associated candidate genes and could be helpful in selecting genes for functional validation studies.

• Language: English
• Keywords: association study, candidate genes, epigenetics, mammary gland, mastitis, quantitative trait loci
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2023
• Number of pages: 14 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 14, art. 10
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-145084
• UDC: 636.2:575
• ISSN on article: 2049-1891
• DOI: 10.1186/s40104-022-00821-0
• COBISS.SI-ID: 141296387
• Publication date in RUL: 04.04.2023

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Journal of animal science and biotechnology
• Shortened title: J. anim. sci. biotechnol.
• Publisher: Springer Nature, BioMed Central
• ISSN: 2049-1891
• COBISS.SI-ID: 523180569

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: govedoreja, govedo, krave, molznice, mastitis, genetika, kandidatni geni, QTL, baza podatkov

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P4-0220
• Name: Primerjalna genomika in genomska biodiverziteta

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Funding programme: Young researchers