Genome-Wide Analyses Reveal the Genetic Architecture and Candidate Genes of Indicine, Taurine, Synthetic Crossbreds, and Locally Adapted Cattle in Brazil

Cattle population history, breeding systems, and geographic subdivision may be reflected in runs of homozygosity (ROH), effective population size (N_e), and linkage disequilibrium (LD) patterns. Thus, the assessment of this information has become essential to the implementation of genomic selection on purebred and crossbred cattle breeding programs. In this way, we assessed the genotype of 19 cattle breeds raised in Brazil belonging to taurine, indicine, synthetic crossbreds, and Iberian-derived locally adapted ancestries to evaluate the overall LD decay patterns, N_e, ROH, and breed composition. We were able to obtain a general overview of the genomic architecture of cattle breeds currently raised in Brazil and other tropical countries. We found that, among the evaluated breeds, different marker densities should be used to improve the genomic prediction accuracy and power of genome-wide association studies. Breeds showing low N_e values indicate a recent inbreeding, also reflected by the occurrence of longer ROH, which demand special attention in the matting schemes to avoid extensive inbreeding. Candidate genes (e.g., ABCA7, PENK, SPP1, IFNAR1, IFNAR2, SPEF2, PRLR, LRRTM1, and LRRTM4) located in the identified ROH islands were evaluated, highlighting biological processes involved with milk production, behavior, rusticity, and fertility. Furthermore, we were successful in obtaining the breed composition regarding the taurine and indicine composition using single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data. Our results were able to observe in detail the genomic backgrounds that are present in each breed and allowed to better understand the various contributions of ancestor breeds to the modern breed composition to the Brazilian cattle.

D-loop haplotype diversity in Brazilian horse breeds

The first horses were brought to Brazil by the colonizers after 1534. Over the centuries, these animals evolved and adapted to local environmental conditions usually unsuitable for exotic breeds, thereby originating locally adapted Brazilian breeds. The present work represents the first description of maternal genetic diversity in these horse breeds based on D-loop sequences. A D-Loop HSV-I fragment of 252 bp, from 141 horses belonging to ten Brazilian breeds / genetic groups (locally adapted and specialized breeds) were analysed. Thirty-five different haplotypes belonging to 18 haplogroups were identified with 33 polymorphic sites. Haplotype diversity (varying from 0.20 to 0.96) and nucleotide diversity (varying from 0.0039 to 0.0239) was lower for locally adapted than for specialized breeds, with the same pattern observed for F_ST values. Haplogroups identified in Brazilian breeds are in agreement with previous findings in South American samples. The low variability observed mainly in locally adapted breeds, indicates that, to ensure conservation of these breeds, careful reproductive management is needed. Additional genetic characterization studies are required to support accurate decision-making.

Genetic and phenotypic parameters of productivity traits on the first three lactations in Gyr cattle herds

Records of Gyr cows selected for milk production were obtained from the National Gyr Dairy Cattle Breeding Program (Embrapa/CNPGL) and analyzed, in order to estimate genetic parameters for the first three lactations and to verify the effects of some environmental factors on milk production from 1979 to 1994. Genetic parameters were estimated by REML with an animal model and a group of fixed effects that included classes of herd, year, season and age at calving. Milk production means and standard deviations were 2,183 kg, 707 kg; 2,682 kg, 762 kg and 2,638 kg, 851 kg, for first, second, and third lactations, respectively. Heritability estimates were 0.20, 0.12, and 0.19 for first, second, and third lactations, respectively, and repeatability was 0.44. Genetic correlation estimates were: 0.68 between first and second lactations, 0.84 between first and third lactations and 1.0 between second and third lactations. Results confirm other research for specialized dairy breeds and firmly suggest that even in breeds of Indian origin the best time to make selection decisions is during the first lactation.