A Genome-Wide Association Study for Resistance to Tropical Theileriosis in Two Bovine Portuguese Autochthonous Breeds

Autor: Diana Valente, Octávio Serra, Nuno Carolino, Jacinto Gomes, Ana Cláudia Coelho, Pedro Espadinha, José Pais, Inês Carolino
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Pathogens, Vol 13, Iss 1, p 71 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2076-0817
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13010071
Popis: The control of Tropical Theileriosis, a tick-borne disease with a strong impact on cattle breeding, can be facilitated using marker-assisted selection in breeding programs. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using high-density arrays are extremely important for the ongoing process of identifying genomic variants associated with resistance to Theileria annulata infection. In this work, single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were analyzed in the Portuguese autochthonous cattle breeds Alentejana and Mertolenga. In total, 24 SNPs suggestive of significance (p ≤ 10−4) were identified for Alentejana cattle and 20 SNPs were identified for Mertolenga cattle. The genomic regions around these SNPs were further investigated for annotated genes and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) previously described by other authors. Regarding the Alentejana breed, the MAP3K1, CMTM7, SSFA2, and ATG13 genes are located near suggestive SNPs and appear as candidate genes for resistance to Tropical Theileriosis, considering its action in the immune response and resistance to other diseases. On the other hand, in the Mertolenga breed, the UOX gene is also a candidate gene due to its apparent link to the pathogenesis of the disease. These results may represent a first step toward the possibility of including genetic markers for resistance to Tropical Theileriosis in current breed selection programs.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals