Unique mitochondrial DNA in highly inbred feral cattle

Revisiting demographic processes in cattle with genome-wide population genetic analysis

The domestication of the aurochs took place approximately 10,000 years ago giving rise to the two main types of domestic cattle known today, taurine (Bos taurus) domesticated somewhere on or near the Fertile Crescent, and indicine (Bos indicus) domesticated in the Indus Valley. However, although cattle have historically played a prominent role in human society the exact origin of many extant breeds is not well known. Here we used a combination of medium and high-density Illumina Bovine SNP arrays (i.e., ~54,000 and ~770,000 SNPs, respectively), genotyped for over 1300 animals representing 56 cattle breeds, to describe the relationships among major European cattle breeds and detect patterns of admixture among them. Our results suggest modern cross-breeding and ancient hybridisation events have both played an important role, including with animals of indicine origin. We use these data to identify signatures of selection reflecting both domestication (hypothesized to produce a common signature across breeds) and local adaptation (predicted to exhibit a signature of selection unique to a single breed or group of related breeds with a common history) to uncover additional demographic complexity of modern European cattle.

The functional significance of cattle major histocompatibility complex class I genetic diversity

Current concerns about food security highlight the importance of maintaining productive and disease-resistant livestock populations. Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I genes have a central role in immunity. A high level of diversity in these genes allows populations to survive despite exposure to rapidly evolving pathogens. This review aims to describe the key features of MHC class I genetic diversity in cattle and to discuss their role in disease resistance. Discussion centers on data derived from the cattle genome sequence and studies addressing MHC class I gene expression and function. The impact of intensive selection on MHC diversity is also considered. A high level of complexity in MHC class I genes and functionally related gene families is revealed. This highlights the need for increased efforts to determine key genetic components that govern cattle immune responses to disease, which is increasingly important in the face of changing human and environmental demands.

Tracing the genetic roots of the indigenous White Park Cattle

The White Park Cattle (WPC) is an indigenous ancient breed from the British Isles which has a long-standing history in heroic sagas and documents. The WPC has retained many primitive traits, especially in their grazing behaviour and preferences. Altogether, the aura of this breed has led to much speculation surrounding its origin. In this study, we sequenced the mitogenomes from 27 WPC and three intronic fragments of genes from the Y chromosome of three bulls. We observed six novel mitogenomic lineages that have not been found in any other cattle breed so far. We found no evidence that the WPC is a descendant of a particular North or West European branch of aurochs. The WPC mitogenomes are grouped in the T3 cluster together with most other domestic breeds. Nevertheless, both molecular markers support the primitive position of the WPC within the taurine breeds.