What is it about?
The present study focused on c.112T>C polymorphism in exon II of β-lactoglobulin gene in Chios and Karagouniko dairy sheep breeds to estimate allele and genotype frequencies as well as the goodness of fit to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. This is our first attempt to assess the genetic structure and variation in these populations whether will remain constant from one generation to the next or not. Furthermore, we investigated possible associations related to the above polymorphism, in conjunction with the milk traits.
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Why is it important?
In the present study we found significant effects of β-LG genotype on lactose percentage and somatic cell count (SCC), lactation stage on daily milk yield and protein, while the breed effect was significant for the daily milk yield. This information is valuable to breeders and extended genotyping efforts will ensure the milk product yield and quality which will also justify these results further to be a taken as a future guide in animal selection farming. Finally will be contributing data to the marker assisted selection for various sheep breeds worldwide, but further validation is necessary with larger sample size to confirm these associations
Perspectives
Briefly, our data show a higher genotype frequency for genotype AB in both breeds, while Chios breed significantly deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Furthermore, X2 analysis revealed opposing allele frequencies in these breeds, with higher allele A frequency in Karagouniko and higher allele B frequency in Chios breed that is possibly due to different selective pressure, mainly caused by human selection. Also, our data highlight the genotype influence on milk composition limited on lactose percentage and SCC but lactation stage effect was more important and profound for the milk composition traits such as for example, fat and protein percentage, which are important cheese-making properties. Thus, the effect of the breed and genotype information for selection purposes may be useful to improving milk yield and quality but further genotyping including nearby markers and larger sample size will decipher the potential of β-LG variants in sheep breed selection.
Dr Kostas A. Triantaphyllopoulos
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Effect of β-lactoglobulin gene polymorphism, lactation stage and breed on milk traits in Chios and Karagouniko sheep breeds, January 2017, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1515/aoas-2016-0058.
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