Genome-wide association study for milk somatic cell score in Holstein Friesian cows in Slovenia

Ashja, Ali (author), Zorc, Minja (author), Dovč, Peter (author)

Mastitis is a serious challenge for the dairy industry, leading to economic losses and affecting milk quality. The aim of this study is to identify genetic factors associated with mastitis resistance by conducting a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for the somatic cell score (SCS). Phenotypic records of 350 Holstein Friesian cows were obtained from the Slovenian Cattle Recording Scheme Database and consisted of around 1500 lactation data from 2012 to 2023 collected on a single farm in Slovenia. Corresponding genotypic data were also retrieved from the same database and genotyped using the Illumina BovineSNP50 BeadChip (Illumina, Inc., San Diego, CA, USA). For the association study, three SCS parameters were considered, including lactation mean somatic cell score (LM_SCS), maximum SCS value (SCSMAX), and top three mean value of SCS (TOP3). After performing a GWAS using FarmCPU and BLINK models, five significant SNPs associated with the TOP3 trait were found on BTA 14, 15, 22, and 29. The identified SNP markers were closely linked to six known candidate genes (DNASE1L3, SLC36A4, ARMC1, PDE7A, MMP13, CD44). These results indicate potential genetic markers associated with SCS in the Slovenian Holstein Friesian population.

• Language: English
• Keywords: mastitis, somatic cell count, GWAS, SNP array
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2024
• Number of pages: 16 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 14, iss. 18, art. 2713
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-162456
• UDC: 636.2
• ISSN on article: 2076-2615
• DOI: 10.3390/ani14182713
• COBISS.SI-ID: 208198403
• Publication date in RUL: 02.10.2024

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Animals
• Shortened title: Animals
• Publisher: MDPI AG
• ISSN: 2076-2615
• COBISS.SI-ID: 519120409

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: govedo, krave, molznice, pasme, črno-belo govedo, mleko, somatske celice, mastitis, genetski markerji

Projects

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