Progress 08/01/08 to 07/31/13
Outputs
Target Audience: Beef cattle has ranked in the top ten of agricultural commodities for the last five years in the state of Mississippi. The state currently has over 900,000 beef cattle with approximately half in cow-calf and half in stocker operations. It has over 18,000 beef cattle operations in the state. Dissemination of the information has been done through field days as well as presentations to county cattlemen's groups throughout the state of Mississippi. Also, results have been used asa teaching tool in two classes (ADS 4123 Animal Breeding and ADS 4324 Beef Cattle Production) in the Animal and Dairy Science curriculum on the demonstration and effects of marker assisted selection in a beef cattle operation. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The project provided an opportunity to attend a workshop that was focused on the analysis of genomic data. The workshop provided practice in working with data sets and software used to analyze these types of data. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Two abstracts were written and presented to the scientific community. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Improving beef cattle performance through genetic selection traditionally involved using observations of the physical characteristics of the animal and using the individual as a parent to produce the next generation. This type of selection generally made for slow progress because the true genetic value was uncertain until an individual produced progeny where performance could be measured. This progeny performance information along with performance of the individual and relatives were combined using advanced statistical analysis to produce what we know today as an expected progeny difference (EPD) or measure of an individual’s genetic worth. These predictors were calculated for a variety of traits within different breeds of cattle. EPDs looked at a trait from a collective stand point where all gene effects that controlled the expression of the phenotype were added together to create a value for each individual. In the past ten years, new technology has become available where individual genes throughout the bovine genome can now be identified and assess their relationship independently to traits of economic importance in the beef cattle industry. In order to locate these genes, DNA markers or genetic markers have been developed to aid in locating particular genes within the genome that can affect a trait in a positive or negative manner. Genetic tests for DNA markers that are associated with simply inherited traits such as coat color, polled condition, genetic defects, and complex traits like marbling, meat tenderness, and other carcass traits are being sold commercially by companies throughout the U.S. These companies market their products by placing claims on the effect of certain markers on particular traits and the amount of phenotypic variation that is created when the marker is present or not present. The need for unbiased and independent validation studies is important to build confidence in this marker technology. The information that will be generated will also serve as a potential source of data required to enable the integration of marker data into genetic evaluations such as EPDs. Discovery of new genes and their effects is a question that will need to be answered for some time. The first question is that does a particular gene have an association to one trait and the next is to what degree. Finding genes with major effects is important in all traits especially those that are hard to measure and ones that are easily influenced by environment. For example, meat tenderness is a very important attribute of consumer satisfaction, but hard to measure because of the process to which the beef industry measures this trait. Animals have to be harvested for a more accurate assessment. Another example would be fertility and reproductive efficiency. These traits are usually difficult to measure because of the many environmental factors that can mask the underlying genetic variation that is there. Once these major genes are identified, independent populations of animals with suitable phenotypes are needed to test markers and apply this information to the selection process and reach breeding goals by making genetic improvements faster. 1. To establish a DNA bank on Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES) pedigreed herds To date a DNA bank has been extablished on all pedigreed herds at the Leveck Animal Research Center since 2008. Angus, Hereford, and Charolais samples (n=612) have been collected and stored via whole blood and hair and cataloged to be used for future research. 2. To implement Marker Assisted Selection in MAFES beef cattle herds Calves were generated over a four year periodusing marker assisted selection for genes associated with marbling in the Angus MSU beef herd. Each year matings were designed to produce animals with a high number of markers associated with increased marbling and animals with no markers associated with increased marbling. Females and males were then developed each year to be used in subsequent years to producetwo herds. Herds were developed with markers for increased marbing and without. 3. To validate current and future DNA markers for traits of economic importance Performance data from cattle that were used in the two herds selected based on marbling markers were collected. Analysis of growth and ultrasound carcass data on calves from the two herds was conducted and results were reported at scientific meetings. There were no differences between females with markers and without markers for marbling in growth performance or ultrasound carcass measures. The reason for not seeing differences in perfomance was due in part because of limited numbers of animals produced for each group and that marbling is a trait that is influenced by many genes and the markers used in this experiment only accounted for two genes that had shown to have a significant affect in previous studies. 4. To discover new DNA markers for improved profitability in beef cattle operations No new DNA markers were discovered from the implementation of this experiment.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Buntyn, J. O., J. A. Carroll, T. Smith, S. M. Falkenburg, J. D. Rivera, N. C. Burdick, and T. B. Schmidt. 2012. Use of a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge to evaluate the innate immune response of Angus heifers with genotypic differences in GeneSTAR Markers for intramuscular fat deposition. J. Anim. Sci. 90(Suppl.):13. (Abstr)
Jury, L. L., R. C. Vann, T. Smith. 2013. Effect of Genetic Markers for Marbling on Performance in Angus Females. J. Anim. Sci. 91(Suppl. 1):9.
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Progress 01/01/12 to 12/31/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Objective 1: To establish a DNA bank on Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES) pedigreed herds. DNA was collected on additional animals at weaning and added to the DNA bank for storage through blood and hair samples. Objective 2: To implement Marker Assisted Selection in MAFES beef cattle herds. The fourth calf crop in the study was born in the fall of 2012 and calves were DNA sampled at weaning for possible replacements in female groups and the production of males to use in commercial breeding schemes. Phenotypic data are being collected on the current animals in production that fit each marker group. Objective 3: To validate current and future DNA markers for traits of economic importance. Bulls that met the qualifications for the genetic markers were placed on commercial cows at the prairie research station in the fall breeding season of 2010 and the first commercial calves were born in the fall 2011. Calves were weaned in the spring of 2012 and stockered through the summer. Calves were shipped to a commercial feedlot to collect growth data and will be harvested in the spring 2013. PARTICIPANTS: Trent Smith and Rhonda Vann TARGET AUDIENCES: Students the Beef Cattle Production and Animal Breeding. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Results have been used as a teaching tool in two classes (ADS 4123 Animal Breeding and ADS 4324 Beef cattle production) in the Animal and Dairy Science curriculum on the demonstration and effects of marker assisted selection in a beef cattle herd. These results have demonstrated the expense and difficulty of marker assisted selection.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/11 to 12/31/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Objective 1: To establish a DNA bank on Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES) pedigreed herds. DNA was collected on additional animals at weaning (2011) and added to the DNA bank for storage through blood and hair samples. Objective 2: To implement Marker Assisted Selection in MAFES beef cattle herds. The third calf crop in the study was born in the fall of 2011 and calves were DNA sampled at weaning for possible replacements in female groups and the production of males to use in commercial breeding schemes. Seven females produced from this calf crop were genotyped as having 4 or 3 of the genetic markers being selected for in this project and placed in the breeding group for this fall as replacements. There are now a total of nine animals that meet the criteria for the high marker group. Phenotypic data are being collected on the current animals in production that fit each marker group. Objective 3: To validate current and future DNA markers for traits of economic importance. Bulls that met the qualifications for the genetic markers were placed on commercial cows at the prairie research station in the fall breeding season of 2010 and the first commercial calves were born this fall 2011. Peformance data will be collected on those calves through until harvest. PARTICIPANTS: Trent Smitn (PI) Responsible for collection and storage of DNA from pedigreed herds and selection of animals for matings to produce progeny that fit the criteria for the genetic marker herd groups. TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences include ADS 4324 Beef Cattle Production and ADS 4321 Animal Breeding. Materials from the project have been incorporated into class lectures and labs to expose students to some of the latest technology being used in the beef cattle industry. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: No major changes have been imposed on this project.
Impacts
With technological advances, more information is being acquired on multiple genes that have an effect on marbling in Angus cattle besides the original genes that are being selected for now and at the beginnig of this project. Because of this new information, new genetic markers will be incorporated into the selection critera of the high marker group replacements. These new maker panels give more DNA information about the cattle's genotype and its influence on marbling.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/10 to 12/31/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Objective 1: To establish a DNA bank on Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES) pedigreed herds. DNA has been collected on all mature animals through blood and hair samples. DNA will continue to be collected on new animals entering the herd as replacements. Objective 2: To implement Marker Assisted Selection in MAFES beef cattle herds. The second calf crop in the study was born in the fall of 2009 and calves were DNA sampled at weaning for possible replacements in female groups and the production of males to use in commercial breeding schemes. Two females produced from this calf crop were genotyped as being homozygous for both markers being selected for in this project. These were the first animals to be produced of this nature. Phenotypic data are being collected on the current animals in production that fit each marker group. Objective 3: To validate current and future DNA markers for traits of economic importance. Bulls that met the qualifications for the genetic markers were placed on commercial cows at the prairie research station this past fall breeding season of 2010. The first calf crop is expected in the fall of 2011. The results have been used as a teaching tool in two classes (ADS 4123 Animal Breeding and ADS 4324 Beef cattle production) in the Animal and Dairy Science curriculum on the demonstration and effects of marker assisted selection in a beef cattle herd. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
A workshop was attended entitled "Genomic Selection in Livestock" in the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University. This workshop was for the sole purpose of learning how to perform a SNP analysis when using genomic data. This information will be important in the analysis of current and developing data sets as well as aid in the process of training future graduate students in this technique.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/09 to 12/31/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Objective 1: To establish a DNA bank on Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES) pedigreed herds. The process of collecting DNA samples on purebred animals for storage and future use began this past fall and will continue until all animals have been collected and cataloged. Objective 2: To implement Marker Assisted Selection in MAFES beef cattle herds. Hair samples were collected on all Angus females of breeding age from cattle at the Leveck Animal Research Station that were in the fall calving herd. Samples were sent to Bovigen, Inc. for genotyping of the tenderness, marbling and feed efficiency DNA markers. Sixty head of females were placed in one of two groups based on their genotypes for the marbling markers Q1 and Q2 (maximum of 4 stars, two per marker): Group 1 (high marker group) females have 3+ stars for marbling, Group 2 (low marker group) females have 0 stars for marbling. Females were placed in breeding groups and bred this past fall to bulls artificially and natural service with the same criteria of selection as the females. First calf crop in study was born in the Fall of 2008 and calves were DNA sampled at weaning for possible replacements in female groups and the production of males to use in commercial breeding scheme at Prairie research stations. Objective 3: To validate current and future DNA markers for traits of economic importance. Bulls were tested for marbling markers from purebred herds here at MSU and throughout the state and purchased for use in commercial herds at Prairie Research Station to be used in the fall breeding season of 2010. Objective 4: To discover new DNA markers for improved profitability in beef cattle operations. Blood samples were collected from the selected animals in objective two and DNA was isolated from the white blood cells and sent to Geneseek, Inc. for analysis. A bovine SNP microarray containing 50,000 confirmed SNPs was used to genotype each sample. Dissemination of the information has been done through field days as well as presentations to county cattlemen's groups throughout the state of Mississippi PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
An educational trip was taken this past year to learn analysis of SNP data collected on the original 60 cows used in the marker groups for the first year of the project. One of the computer software packages that can be used in the analysis is a SAS product called JMP Genomics. During the trip a seminar was given on usage of the product and training for scientists with SNP data sets. This information will be value in determining publication possibilities from the data retrieved during this project.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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