Checkoff-funded Research Unlocks Secrets of Bovine Genome

DENVER (October 7, 2004) - The potential to selectively and accurately breed cattle for specific traits such as improved meat yield or tenderness has been greatly enhanced with the release of the first draft of the bovine genome sequence.  Scientists say that this work, which is now available to researchers in public databases, will underpin cattle research for the next several decades. A team led by Richard Gibbs, Ph.D., at Baylor College of Medicine’s Human Genome Sequencing Center in Houston carried out the sequencing and assembly of the bovine genome.  

"You won't have to be a genomics expert to profit from this research," said Paul Genho of King Ranch in Kingsville, Texas.  "The potential is huge. We now have a roadmap that researchers can reference for almost anything they want to know about the beef genome.  This tells scientists exactly where within the cattle genome they can locate many of the traits they want to study."

Cattlemen, through their $1-per-head beef checkoff program, will have provided about $600,000 of the $53 million funding for the project.  The Texas and South Dakota Beef Councils also contributed funding to the research consortium, which included the federal government, four countries and private industry.

The genome sequence project was conducted on behalf of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and state beef councils by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).  The NCBA serves as one of the Beef Board’s contractors for checkoff-funded programs.

A simplified example of genome sequencing would be to compare it to trying to find an old high school buddy (find a gene for tenderness).  We know that he lives somewhere in Colorado (in the bovine genome).  We use DNA markers and gene mapping to find out that he is located in the Denver metro Area -- somewhere between the suburbs of Littleton and Lakewood (marker satellites are Littleton and Lakewood).  If we can sequence the Denver metro area, we can identify every person in the Denver metro area and locate their address -- including our lost friend whom we now can visit. 

By sequencing the genome, scientists will be able to isolate and further investigate the traits specific genes provide cattle breeders. Clare Gill, Ph.D. and a researcher at Texas A&M University, says scientists already are using this research to study things like quality traits that will help cattlemen make desired changes in their herds with more predictability.

Cattlemen, through the beef checkoff, already have identified a genetic marker for tenderness and some breed organizations participated in research to determine the heritability of this trait.  The study showed that tenderness is a heritable trait, but there were differences between and within breeds on the degree of heritability.

The bovine genome is similar in size to the genomes of humans and other mammals, containing approximately 3 billion DNA base pairs and an estimated 25,000 genes.  Sequencing of the bovine genome began in December 2003 on a Hereford animal.  Scientists plan to sequence the genomes of the Holstein, Angus, Jersey, Limousin, Norwegian Red and Brahman breeds.

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